When the END comes
by DD42
Summary: He had always been there for her. In her darkest of moments, through thick and thin, he was her light, her anchor, her protector; her beloved friend. But now…now he has become her worst nightmare, and only she can help him. (Natsu/Lucy, END!Natsu, Avatar/Albareth War Arc's) *SECOND STORY ARC ADDED/COMPLETED*
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

_**When the E.N.D comes…**_

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back! I know I'm behind on updating my other stories but my mind couldn't shake off the idea for this one and I had to put pen to paper for it! It was a spur of the moment idea that was brought on by the recent Fairy Tail chapters and all the E.N.D theories pertaining to Natsu that are out there at the moment…so I decided to throw my hat into the ring and give this a shot.

Yep, an END Natsu fic (partial spoilers for those of you not caught up with the manga!). Anything that goes on here is speculation and creative liberty on my part but I'm trying my best to work with the information and what the manga has provided so far. I may be a little late to the game with this type of plot but I decided to give it a shot regardless.

I don't expect this to be particularly long compared to what else I'm accustomed to working on; I'm thinking maybe three or four, possibly five or six chapters in length depending on where I go with this one.

But, I have fun when it comes to writing stuff like this so I digress…more or less.

For those of you who are not familiar with me, I welcome you and hope you enjoy the first of many chapters to come. For those of you who are familiar with me, I welcome you to another adventure into the Fairy Tail fan universe. As always, I hope you will give your honest opinion with your review and if you have any questions regarding this story feel free to ask it in your review which I will either reply to in the next chapter or respond to ASAP, or you can PM me; whatever works for you! Just please don't be too harsh with your criticisms…there's only so much a guy can take.

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail; Hiro Mashima and Kodansha Comics USA own it. If I did own Fairy Tail…well let's just say some things would be different.

So without further ado *cracks neck and knuckles*, let's begin!

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DESCRIPTION: He had always been there for her. In her darkest of moments, through thick and thin, he was her light, her anchor, her protector; her beloved friend. But now…now he has become her worst nightmare.

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CHAPTER 1: Awakening

XXXX

She could feel it in the air as the deep chill suddenly made its way down her spine.

She could feel it in her bones, the deep confines of her heart and the pit of her stomach.

It was a feeling she got whenever something…wrong-no, bad-was about to happen. It was a natural instinct that foretold the coming of something… wicked. The cold had an edge to it…a sort of malice that couldn't be put into words. It was the malice one felt when darkness began to fall.

To Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's beloved Celestial Spirit Mage, "bad" didn't seem to be the proper word to befit the cold that slowly wound its way gripped her heart.

…Terrible.

Yes, that was the more appropriate word. Something terrible was about to happen.

And as her feet pounded on the rubble that littered the ground and the frantic beating of her heart thundered in her ears, Lucy had a frightened inkling as to what, or rather who, this terrible feeling was linked to.

"Natsu," Lucy said in between breathes, "hang on we're almost there!"

Lucy was not alone as she navigated the ruins of what had been the West side of Magnolia Town and the now decimated remainder of what had been Cube, the home base for the Dark Guild, Tartarus.

Her fellow mages and guild mates were right behind her every step of the way, moving at an equally frantic pace.

And still overhead, Acnologia and Igneel continued their battle in the air; the two legendary dragons trading blow for blow, hit for hit. Lucy still couldn't believe that after all this time, after so many years of searching for Igneel, Igneel had appeared from within Natsu. Natsu had been with his father this entire time and never once had suspected it.

Natsu.

Lucy's mind conjured up the image of her pink haired, best friend and the goofy but loveable grin of his.

Lucy bit her lip and pushed her legs to go faster, the events leading up to the current predicament playing over in her head.

XXXX

It had been only minutes earlier that they had gathered at the remains of their beloved guild hall, with the exception of the few who stayed behind to continue their battle with the leader of Tartarus; Mard Geer. The threat of the remaining 3,000 Face's activating was still a present factor but Master Makarov had managed to establish a telepathic link with everyone informing them that Face could be stopped but they had to act fast.

As the mages had gathered in the basement of the guild, which was surprisingly still intact, Master Makarov had unveiled the secret of Lumen Histoire; Fairy Tail's ultimate weapon…was the body of Fairy Tail's first guild master-Mavis Vermillion. Her body, still young as her spirit had portrayed on multiple occasions, was preserved behind a protective casing of lacrima. To Lucy's understanding, amidst the shock she had found herself in, if Mavis was awoken then the legendary tactician would undoubtedly figure out a way to stop Face from fully activating. So, as per Makarov's instructions, the mages concentrated their magic and sent it into the lacrima. The more energy they had added, the brighter the crystal had grown until in brilliantly shattered in a burst of light.

When the light had faded, Mavis stood-albeit on shaking legs-before her guild. Makarov had quickly draped a jacket over the young woman's shoulders as she came to her senses. Eyes opening to the sight of the mages, Mavis smiled her knowing smile.

"It seems my time has finally come," she said," things must be really bad if you've woken me up after all this time instead of calling on my spirit."

"Indeed," Makarov said, "our situation is dire number one. The Dark Guild Tartarus and its demons are in the process of activating the Face anti magic weapons system. We have managed to fight and defeat the majority of the demons but time is still running out. We're certain face is ready to fire and we need your help in stopping it."

"Have you dispatched someone to handle the activation sequence?" Mavis asked.

"You remember Erza Scarlet and Mirajane Strauss?" Makarov asked, receiving a nod from Mavis, "I sent them to handle the activation but it has been some time since I last heard from them. I think they are fighting whoever is guarding it."

Mavis frowned but nodded none the less.

"I see." She said, "And then there is still the leader of Tartarus himself that we need to worry about."

"E.N.D?" Levy spoke up, "But I thought all of the magic on the continent needed to be eliminated before he could be awoken."

Mavis shook her head, a grim look on her face.

"That will only allow him to awaken at full power. Given enough time, his seal can be broken and he can awaken at half the power he would normally wield. But even then, he will easily outmatch any of us and then some."

"What do we do then!?" Gajeel said, his tone frustrated, "We can't just let both happen at once; we're screwed sideways if we don't think of something quick!"

"Easy Gajeel," Mavis said, "we still have the advantage of time on our side. Face is our number one priority at the moment. E.N.D is still dormant, so we can deal with him in due course."

"What's our plan then?" Lucy asked, "How do we stop Face?"

Mavis opened her mouth to speak but stopped, her mouth instantly snapping shut as a sudden chill filled the air. Mavis's widening eyes darted forward, her head tilted up as if she could see something in the distance that the others couldn't. Her hands closed and shook along with the rest of her body.

"No…" Mavis whispered, her voice laced with horror, "How!? It…it…it shouldn't have become this strong so quickly."

"What's wrong?" Makarov said, "First Master, what's the matter?"

Mavis swallowed hard and her voice came out strained.

"E.N.D," Mavis said, "E.N.D has begun his awakening. He's found his host."

"What!?" The mages said in surprise.

"But didn't you just say-" Romeo had begun but was cut off.

"I know what I just said!" Mavis said, "And I was wrong…I miscalculated. We have to act fast and get to E.N.D before he can fully awaken."

"What do you mean host? Isn't he a demon like the others?" Lisanna asked.

"In name only." Mavis said, "E.N.D's physical body was destroyed long ago by Igneel the fire dragon king. But Igneel failed to destroy his spirit and Zeref sealed his strongest creation away until the time a new host could be found."

Mavis swallowed again.

"If the seal has been broken, then that means E.N.D is ready to return to the physical realm."

"But that doesn't explain why he has chosen now to do so." Levy said.

"…E.N.D is a fire demon, the most powerful that ever lived." Mavis said slowly, almost cautiously, "He is compatible with only someone of similar magic. Someone he believes he can bend to his will and influence."

Mavis took a long look at the mages, her eyes filled with worry and…fear.

"And that someone…I do not see him here."

"Wait, Romeo and Macao are with us and they specialize in fire magic." Bisca said, "The only other person that I know of who uses fire magic is…"

Bisca's words died on her lips as Mavis's words finally connected together in her head…along with the other mages. Her hands flew to her mouth, her skin starting to pale.

"Oh no." She whispered.

Lucy had also caught the meaning to Mavis's words and she had slowly turned around to face the way she had come; her eyes wide, frantic, and filled with disbelief.

"No…it can't be…"Lucy said.

Her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest and she felt the blood in her veins cool.

"Natsu." Lucy whispered.

XXXX

That had been then and Lucy's mind had since returned to the now.

She was part of a group Makarov had hastily organized to reach Natsu while another group stayed behind with him and Mavis as they focused on stopping Face.

It wasn't hard to know where they were going. They just had follow the chill.

As they made their way further into the ruins, the chill grew stronger as did the feeling of dread that continued to hover over Lucy like a shadow.

"Don't let it be _him_," Lucy whispered/begged to whatever deity was watching over her, "please don't let it be him; _don't let it be Natsu!_"

"I don't like this," Gajeel called out, still carrying Juvia on his back, "I don't like this one bit! Something doesn't feel right!"

"You're just noticing this?" Cana said, "What was your first clue; the sense of dread or the fact that Natsu is in danger of being possessed by one of those freakin' demons!?"

"Hey, I didn't expect it to be Salamander either but I'm just voicin' what my gut's telling me." Gajeel replied.

"Is Natsu going to be alright dad?" Romeo asked as he ran next to his father.

"I'm not sure of anything at this point." Macao replied, his tone grim.

"He'll be fine." Lucy called back to the others, her tone a desperate confidence, "This is Natsu we're talking about remember? And he won't let E.N.D get to him without a fight."

Lucy turned her attention back forwards as she leapt over a collapsed pillar.

"We'll get to him in time, you'll see."

"Lu-chan…" Levy whispered in concern.

The mages vaulted, slid and weaved their way across the rubble until they eventually made their back to a where Gray had rescued Gajeel, Levy, Natsu, Lucy and Juvia from Torafusa and Tempesta.

"This where we last saw Natsu," Levy said, "Right before he went after Igneel. After that, I think Igneel sent Natsu somewhere nearby. I remember watching Natsu hop off Igneel and charge someone or something."

"Then they still have to be close by." Lucy said.

"Aye," Gajeel said, "I can still smell Salamander around here."

The iron dragon slayer took a few cursory sniffs of the air and then nodded to the north.

"He went that way…but we should be careful. I can smell something else in the air and whatever it is, it ain't friendly."

"Considering what we've been through today, who isn't?" Laki said, "I mean, a bunch of demons wrecked our home and have been trying to kill us all day."

"That doesn't matter." Lucy said, "Stopping E.N.D and helping Natsu are our top priority at the moment."

She then began to head off in the direction Gajeel had indicated.

"We don't' have time to be standing around like this."

"Lu-chan wait up!" Levy said, going after her friend, "Don't' go running off like that!"

The assembled mages gave each other wary looks before pursuing.

After making their way through what appeared to be the remains of a large, gutted hallway, the mages found themselves traversing a relatively flat area, flanked by the ruins of walls that led to a ragged drop off in the floor. Something had collapsed here when the Celestial Spirit King delivered his devastating blow to Cube.

The dread and cold increased in dramatically and the mages knew that they were in the right spot; Natsu was just ahead, down in the depression.

Then, three figures suddenly stumbled past the rubble at the lip of the drop off. The new arrivals quickly saw the mages and began to frantically wave their hands in warning.

"Get back! Get back; it's not safe!" The one yelled.

It took the group a second to realize that it was none other than Gray Fullbuster shouting to them in warning. Following behind him, surprisingly, were Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney of the Sabertooth Guild. Rogue had Sting's arm slung over his shoulder, the two worse for wear but managed to keep up with Gray.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia called out in shock at the ice mages battered appearance as she struggled to climb down from Gajeel's back.

"Sting, Rogue!? What are you two doing here!?" Lucy said in equal shock and surprise as their counterparts stumbled up to the larger group.

"We came here," Rogue panted, "to find and bring Lady Minerva home to Sabertooth."

Sting grunted as he stood on his feet, a grim, pained smile on his lips.

"Easier said," Sting said before wincing, "than done…but that's not the issue right now."

"We have to get away from here, now!" Gray said as he looked frantically behind him.

"Gray what's wrong; what's happening?" Levy said addressing the ice mage who paused at her words, a look of desperation and fear, never leaving his features.

"Wait a minute," Lucy said, "if you're here, does that mean Natsu is here as well?"

Gray, Sting and Rogue froze at Natsu's name and their eyes widened in fear.

"What's wrong?" Lucy said, "Gray…what's wrong? Where's Natsu?"

A pained look befell Gray's features as he looked at his teammate.

"Lucy," Gray whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"…What?" Lucy said, her arms falling to her sides.

"I…I don't know what happened." Gray said, "We were going toe to toe with Mard Geer one moment and we were so close to taking him down. Then all of the sudden, as if he realized something, he pushed me back and knocked Natsu to the ground. He then summoned and opened that damned book of his. And then…then Natsu…he…"

Gray's tone died as he looked back the way he'd came.

"Natsu… he started convulsing, screaming in pain and then he just burst into fire. Mard Geer stepped off of him and stood back, letting the book fall to the ground…cackling like a maniac…"

"_At last,"_ Gray remembered Mard Geer's words as the transformed King of Tartarus gloated in what appeared to be absolute victory_, "my master awakens! You're too late humans, this is the end for you!"_

Lucy felt her body slowly start to go numb.

"Gray tried to help him but Mard Geer pushed him back. We were still weakened from our fight with Jiemma to be of any help. The flames around Natsu started to spread and we stood no chance of helping him." Sting said.

"Jiemma…"Levy said, "You're former guild master?"

"Aye," said Rogue, "he willingly became a demon of Tartarus…a salve so he could fulfill his obsession with power. But he isn't a problem anymore."

"…Gray…"Lucy said, "how…why did you just leave Natsu there?"

Gray still faced the depression. He could feel the dark energy building to something climactic and when it finally broke, he knew that nothing good would come of it.

"I'm sorry Lucy," Gray said, "There was nothing we could do. The demon backed us into a corner…we had no choice but to leave."

"N-Nastu…"Lucy whispered, before suddenly running forward only to be stopped by Gray.

"Lucy, don't!" Gray said as Lucy struggled against his grip.

"No!" Lucy said, "There's still time, we can still help him!"

Lucy refused to believe that what Mavis had predicted was coming to pass. She refused to believe that Natsu, of all people, would be turned into the vilest demon Zeref had created.

"Lucy stop, it's too late!" Gray protested, "We have to get out of here before they come after us!"

"No, I'm not leaving him!" Lucy protested, "I'm not leaving Natsu!"

Any further conversation was cut off when a scream of pure agony cut through the air from the depression. All present recognized the voice; it was Natsu's.

Suddenly, a beam of fire shot into the sky as the ground began to shake beneath the feet of the mages. The fire, which glowed a mixture of purple and black, dissipated clouds and darkened the sky with its supernatural glow. The shaking of the ground intensified to the point where it began to crack and splinter.

"We have to get out of here; now!" Sting said.

But, before so much as the mages could even twitch, the ground fell out beneath them, sliding back towards the depression and taking the surprised and screaming mages with it.

Tumbling through the rock, dust and debris, it all lasted a matter of seconds before the mages slid to a stop. At first nobody moved, but gradually they all came to their senses and pushed themselves up to their feet or hands and knees. A large but shallow smoking crater lay before the mages, the edge just barely reaching where they had landed.

"What…what was that?" Cana asked as Wakaba and Romeo helped her up.

An amused chuckle broke out from across the mages, snapping their attention forward.

There, sitting on what remained of a throne, was the literal personification of a demon.

"Mard Geer." Gray hissed as Juvia slid to his side.

"Welcome back human," the demon king, still in his true form said, unaffected by the events that had just transpired, "and here Mard Geer thought that you were trying to run away from him."

"That's Mard Geer?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"His true form, yes." Gray replied.

Mard Geer chuckled again and extended his arms out, despite wincing as he did so. Like Gray and the Twin Dragon Slayers, he had received a thorough beating from Natsu and Gray but was still managing better than they were.

"After all the fuss you've made, after all the suffering and the mounting odds against you, you humans still managed to fight…still managed to think you had a chance at stopping us."

A twisted grin formed on Mard Geer's now armored face.

"But it was all for naught. You've lost humans. You failed to stop Face from activating…and now you've failed to stop the return of our master."

Lucy suddenly remembered Natsu and stood on shaking feet, glaring at the demon king.

"Where is Natsu?" Lucy said, her tone scathing, "What have you done to him!?"

Mard Geer cackled this time.

"Natsu Dragneel is no more." Mard Geer said, "There is only E.N.D now."

"You're lying," Lucy said, "Natsu would never let himself be turned against his will like that!"

"…So naïve," Mard Geer said, "even in the face of the truth, you still can't see what is right in front of you."

The demon king stood from the throne and his hand snapped out to the smoking crater.

"It appears Mard Geer will have to open your eyes then, to make you see your failure for what it is. Master E.N.D; awaken!"

From within the crater, a shape began to stir. It took the mages minute to realize that whatever it was had been laying on its front on the ground and was now just slowly pushing itself up to its feet. It looked humanoid, but the outline of wings could been seen. Said wings, which had been tucked against the body, suddenly snapped out with enough force to clear the smoke from the crater with a powerful gust of wind.

And what was revealed caused the mages to become slack jawed and wide eyed as they slowly realized what…or rather who they were looking at.

"No…" Lucy whispered in fear, "…it's not possible…there's no way."

Tears began to brim in her eyes and Mard Geer openly laughed at her torment.

"Oh but it is. What you see before is Tartarus's true master, who after laying dormant for so long has returned to us."

"N-Natsu?" Lucy, her voice shaking.

Standing in the shallow crater, now on his feet, was Natsu…or rather, what used to be Natsu.

He was still tall, muscular and broad shouldered. His wild salmon pink hair still covered his head, but was now blackened at the tips and slightly hid his thick black outlined eyes, which were closed. His skin had changed from its healthy tanned peach to that of a dull red while a scale like pattern could be seen here and there. The skin still steamed from the overwhelming heat of the transformation. He was missing his shirt and wore a pair of pair of jet black slacks, supported by a leather belt with large buckle, which were tucked into a pair of black leather, high top tanker style boots.

From Natsu's head, from behind his now pointed ears, emerged a pair of dull black horns that curved and bent forward just stopping at his temples. His dragon like wings, which had sprung from his back, stood extended as if they were stretching from a long night's sleep. But what also stood out to the mages was the bone like armor that covered certain parts of his body, his heart, Guild Mark and his mouth…oh gods his mouth.

The armor, which had a brushed, black coloring to it, started with his hands and forearms. His fingers had become like the blades of knives, claw like in their appearance as the armor overlapped at the knuckles. The rest of the armor traveled up his forearms and stopped/passed his elbows forming blade shaped extensions. The armor also appeared on his collar bone, clavicle and shoulders, conforming to the shape of the muscle and bone. It also appeared in small cut outs that overlapped the length of his neck and spine.

The skin over his heart cracked around it like ragged fissures in rock while glowing menacingly like the magma lying beneath a volcano.

On his right shoulder, where the Fairy Tail emblem was once displayed with pride, now resided the Tartarus emblem which glowed a wicked shade of orange.

His jaw had, along with the lower half of his maxilla, become armored like his hands and arms, but instead of a mouth-which was once held Natsu's cheerful, trade mark grin-a maw of white, diamond shaped teeth took its place. The jaw was firm and the teeth set, as if the bone and enamel were locked together in place.

"G-Gray-s-sama," Juvia whispered as she raised her shaking hand, pointing at Natsu's left shoulder, "look."

The mages, who could only stare in disbelief, felt a new wave of fear overtake them. Tattooed in a staggered manner, were three simple letters: E.N.D

"No…" Lucy said as she began to shake her head before screaming in despair, "NO!"

E.N.D's body straightened and he inhaled through his nose, before exhaling deeply; a strange clicking noise emitting from deep within his chest and throat.

His eyes snapped open. Where there once had been vibrant green eyes, only soulless, glowing red remained. They lacked a pupil, only maintaining the glow, and the whites of the eyes had turned black.

After hundreds of years of lying dormant; E.N.D had finally returned to the world of the living.

"Master E.N.D," Mard Geer said as he bowed deeply, "welcome back. We missed you terribly."

E.N.D did not respond. He instead slowly blinked twice before equally slowly cracking his neck, toes and knuckles, which he popped on at a time. He then flexed his arms, shoulders, knees and back, emitting a similarly loud popping of bone and joints. The wings did the same, as if by their own volition.

Mard Geer looked at E.N.D in confusion as he cocked his head slightly.

"Master?" He asked perplexed.

E.N.D continued to ignore Mard Geer and the mages in front of him as he slowly looked at his surroundings before doing the same to his hands. He slowly turned his hands over before looking back to his palms, flexing his fingers.

He seemed…confused. As if he wasn't sure where he was or rather _who _he was.

And all the while, he still made that strange, confused chitter.

"Ah," Mard Geer said, his confusion gone, "Mard Geer understands now. E.N.D has been dormant for so long that needs time to acclimate his senses once again. A hindrance…but a manageable one none the less."

Lucy glared vehemently at Mard Geer as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Give him back." Lucy said through clenched teeth, "Give Natsu back to us!"

"Why in the world would Mard Geer ever want to do that?" the demon said in that mocking, overconfident tone of his.

"And from what can be seen, you are really in no position to be making such demands. None of you are? It's pathetic for you to demand such things from a demon like Mard Geer, especially in the presence of E.N.D. What you are looking for, hoping for, no longer exists…accept it for what is. Accept that you've lost…and perhaps Master will grant you a swift death."

"Natsu would never turn against us," Lucy protested, "even if you did turn him into what he is now, he still knows who we are; he still knows that were his nakama!"

"Lucy's right." Gray said, his voice firm, "Natsu is still in there, I can feel it. We haven't lost him yet."

He slowly rose to his feet with the help of Juvia as ice began to form on his hands.

"We'll break through to him…and take him back."

Mard Geer let out an annoyed sigh and pinched his brow as the mages found their footing and began to stand in defiance.

"Such annoying creatures you humans are. Even in defeat, you still think your bonds of camaraderie will save your friend from his fate…it's pathetic, it truly is."

Mard Geer lowered his hands, his eyes glaring at the mages and looked to E.N.D, who still remained silent, seemingly finished in his examination of his hands. He now kept his eyes closed, head bent slightly and arms at his sides.

"Mard Geer grows tired of this…this aggravating drabble. Don't you think it's time they were taught a lesson for their insolence, Master E.N.D?" Mard Geer said, a smirk playing on his armored features.

E.N.D straightened in his stance and his hands clenched into fists, making the knuckles pop. He then looked over his shoulder, past the joint of his left wing; his red eye squinting at Mard Geer.

"Mast-" Was all Mard Geer could say, his face twisted in confusion before turning to shock as E.N.D appeared before him in a blinding burst of speed.

With his right arm already cocked back, E.N.D delivered a devastating right cross that send Mard Geer flying off of his throne and into the rubble.

The mages could only watch with expressions that mirrored Mard Geer's as the demon master calmly walked over to where he had sent Mard Geer sprawling. The soft, confused chitter that E.N.D had been making was gone now and had been replaced with a deep, airy snarl-despite his jaw not moving an inch.

The demon king of Tartarus slowly pushed himself up from the ground and spat out a wad of blood and looked up to see E.N.D looming over him. E.N.D bent down and grabbed Mard Geer by the neck, lifting him up like it was the easiest thing in the world. His bladed fingers slowly dug into Mard Geer's armored skin, causing blood to leak from the cuts.

"M-Master!" Mard Geer gasped frantically as he held onto E.N.D's wrist with both hands, "What is the meaning of this!? What is the matter with you!?"

E.N.D pulled Mard Geer closer as his eyes narrowed. Another snarl rumbled from deep within his chest.

Then he spoke and Lucy heard herself gasp in shock, her hands moving to cover her mouth.

"Oh Mavis, his voice." Lucy whispered, the horror evident in her voice.

"**You're annoying me."** E.N.D growled, **"Quit pissin' me off."**

E.N.D's voice…it was horrible blend between Natsu's and something else. Something horrible and laden with malice.

E.N.D extended his arm, let Mard Geer drop from his grip while simultaneously delivering a fierce gut punch with his left hand, sending Mard Geer flying back a few hundred yards before crashing into the remnants of a dilapidated wall; which collapsed atop Mard Geer on impact.

E.N.D lowered his hands and flexed them, cracking the knuckles.

"Natsu…" Gray said aloud, "What the hell happened to you?"

E.N.D's head twitched at the sound of Gray's voice and he slowly turned to face the mages. His eyes, still narrowed, focused onto Gray.

"**Who the hell are you?"** E.N.D said, his voice low.

"Natsu," Gray said, cautiously, "it's me; Gray."

E.N.D cocked his head to the side, a slight growl emanating from his throat as he started to walk to the Fairy Tail mages.

"Don't you remember me?" Gray said, "Don't you remember us, your friends? We're you're nakama remember?"

E.N.D was quiet for a moment and arched a charcoal colored eye brow.

"…**Should I?"** E.N.D said, **"Because you sure as hell aren't ringing any bells."**

"W-what?" Lucy said, stepping forward slightly, "N-Natsu it's us!"

E.N.D blinked and focused his attention to Lucy, who shuddered under the red eyed gaze.

"…**Who the hell is this "Natsu" you keep babbling about?"**

The shocked and crestfallen look that quickly formed on Lucy's face spoke volumes. E.N.D was either undeterred or didn't care about the pain marring Lucy's face.

"**Last time I checked my name is E.N.D…I think." **E.N.D said, pinching his brow.

"Y-you think?" Levy asked and E.N.D shrugged.

"**Everything is just a blur to me."** E.N.D said, **"I don't remember anything. Just waking up and then feeling very annoyed by that schmuck I just nailed to the wall. And my name…well, I think it's my name."**

"What the hell is going on?" Gajeel whispered to Levy, "The hell is wrong with Salamander?"

"I have no idea." Levy answered honestly.

Refusing to believe that Natsu (she refused to call him E.N.D, let alone acknowledge that he was completely gone) Lucy made her way down from the landslide intent on reaching Natsu. Gray was quick to grab her shoulder, stopping her and making her face him.

"Lucy, no." Gray said, still leaning on Juvia for support.

"What do you mean "no"?" Lucy hissed.

"It's not safe," Gray said and then looked to E.N.D, his eyes hardening slightly, "_he's_ not safe."

"How can you say that?" Lucy said, "Gray, Natsu is in there somewhere and we have to help him. There's got to be a way to get through to him!"

"Juiva agrees." The water mage said, speaking up, "Juvia is sorry to admit it…but we can't let our guard down around that…thing."

"**You know, I can hear you little girl."** E.N.D hissed, making Juvia let out a surprised "Eeep!"

Lucy pulled away from Gray, defiance in her eyes as she turned back to E.N.D.

"Lu-chan, wait!" Levy said as she began to make her way down the rubble as Gajeel followed, cursing all the way.

"E.N.D or not," Lucy said, "He's still Natsu to me. And I'm going to help him with or without yours."

E.N.D had stopped walking by then, the moment he saw Lucy moving towards him, and was back in the center of the crater where he had appeared.

"_The hell is with her?"_ E.N.D thought as Lucy drew closer, slowly looking the mage over.

"_Hmmmm…"_ E.N.D thought, _"This one's an odd ball. She's cute, hell, not bad on the eyes even…but she's stubborn…defiant. The light radiates off of her…"_

E.N.D then saw the key chain attached to her belt. More importantly he saw the Celestial Spirit Keyes that glimmered in the light.

"_Those keys…they look…_familiar_…why?" _E.N.D internally mused.

Lucy was only a couple of feet from E.N.D-no, Natsu she corrected-when he held his right index finger in warning.

"**No."** E.N.D said, **"That's as far as you go."**

Lucy swallowed hard but held her ground, despite the urge to continue walking to him. She heard Levy and Gajeel's boots come to a stop somewhere behind her.

She locked eyes with E.N.D and she felt a chill run up her spine.

"_It's okay,"_ she reassured herself, "he hasn't attacked us yet...which means Natsu is in there somewhere holding him back."

Lucy slowly moved her right foot forward, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by E.N.D who let out a warning hiss.

"_He won't attack us."_ Lucy thought, _"He'd never hurt us…he'd never hurt _me_."_

"Natsu…" Lucy said, her voice gentle but possessing a determination to it.

"**You deaf or something girl? I said stop." **E.N.D said but Lucy continued to advance. She was no in arm's length.

"No." Lucy said.

E.N.D growled in warning and snapped his right arm out, hand curled into a fist as long, sword like blade extended out from the armor on his arm. Cracks began to appear along the length of the blade, much like the ones that surrounded his heart but glowed an even brighter. The same went for his eyes which now glowed a vibrant crimson.

He then swiftly swung the blade out, stopping just before the blade so much as touched the skin of her neck.

"Lucy!" Levy cried out and Gajeel stood poised to dive for Lucy.

Lucy froze in her tracks as her eyes instantly snapping to the blade, a small gasp escaping her lips. She could feel the heat radiating off the blade it was so close.

"_She's scared…but not scared enough. She didn't falter…didn't scream or run…who is this girl?" _E.N.D thought, his curiosity slowly being piqued.

"**Who are you?" **E.N.D said, voicing his thoughts.

Lucy swallowed and slowly raised her left hand to touch Natsu's curled one.

"Natsu…it's me…Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy said as her fingers made contact with his, noting how warm they were to the touch, "Can you remember me?"

E.N.D's eyes narrowed.

"**I already told you-"** E.N.D began but was cut off.

"Then _try_ to remember!" Lucy said, her hand now taking his and moving the blade away from her.

"I know you can…please, there has to be something you remember?" Lucy said, her tone pleading.

E.N.D regarded Lucy, focusing on her eyes. They stood out to him…for some reason.

_Morning Lucy! _A voice suddenly echoed out in his mind, almost out of nowhere.

"_The hell?"_ E.N.D thought.

_C'mon Lucy_, the voice said again, almost as it were complaining, _Happy and I want to go on a job today; why do you have to be so boring?_

The image of the woman in front of him flashed in his mind's eye. She was sitting at a table, apparently in the middle of reading a book and looking at _him_, pouting slightly.

_I am most certainly not boring!_ Lucy said back, her tone both annoyed and offended.

It was a memory, E.N.D realized. He had just seen a memory of this woman who knew him and insisted so with such conviction. He realized then that he knew her too…but then again, was it his memory or someone else's he was catching a glimpse of?

Lucy saw the glow in E.N.D's eyes soften and his brow furrow softly.

"_He's remembered something,"_ Lucy thought, her hope beginning to rise, _"I can feel it."_

Still holding his right hand with her left, Lucy brought her other hand over to hold Natsu's completely; uncurling his fingers as she did so.

"That's right Natsu," Lucy said, "think back…that's all you need to do."

A confused, low growl rumbled from E.N.D's chest…but died down as his eyes locked onto the pink, Fairy Tail emblem tattooed onto Lucy's right hand.

_Natsu!_ An image of Lucy appeared again. She was smiling brightly, right hand held up for him to see the new pink Fairy emblem that decorated her skin, _Look! I got the Fairy Tail mark tattooed!_

E.N.D raised his right hand and carefully touched his first two fingers to the tattoo.

"Do you remember this Natsu?" Lucy asked but he didn't answer, he was still focused on the mark, "I got this after I joined Fairy Tail remember? You convinced me to join Fairy Tail. You promised….you promised me that we'd be able to go on all kinds of adventures together."

Tears slowly began to fill her eyes and spill down her cheeks.

"Do you remember our promise Natsu?" Lucy said, her voice breaking slightly.

_Come on Lucy!_ He heard the voice say again…was that voice _his_ voice?

_Where are we going Natsu!?_ Lucy said as she was pulled along by the hand.

_On a mission, where else?!_ The voice said in amusement, making Lucy smile and laugh.

E.N.D looked up to Lucy, head slowly cocking to the side and eyes wide-filled with confusion. The kind of confusion one gets when they are on the verge of remembering something; something important.

E.N.D's jaw began to move, as if he was about to say something…but was cut off when a voice of pure anger cried out and a sharp pain exploded across his back.

"UNNACCEPTABLE!" The voice raged.

E.N.D's head snapped up, eyes wide as a black vine of thorns delivered another surprise attack to his back, causing the magma that coursed through his veins to shoot out and turn into burning lava. E.N.D stumbled to the left just as another vine lashed out…and struck Lucy.

Lucy cried out in pain as the vine slapped her away from E.N.D, blood spilling from the wound in her shoulder.

"Lucy!" Levy cried out in panic as she raced to her best friend's side.

Regaining his balance, E.N.D turned his attention immediately back to Lucy who lay on the ground, clutching her hand to her shoulder as she cried out in anguish. Levy and Gajeel were at her side in an instant and the other mages began to move from their spots on the landslide; Lucy's pained cry having snapped them from their viewing of her calming E.N.D.

E.N.D felt the wounds on his back instantly heal shut by cauterizing; he could smell his flesh burning but didn't care. He was too focused on Lucy.

Another memory was playing itself out.

Lucy, garbed in a black cloak, lay on a polished marble floor in a pool of blood. Her head had fallen to the side thus making the bangs of her hair cover her eyes. A single trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth.

He remembered hot tears spilling down his cheeks. The disbelief, the sorrow and the pain at losing someone so special to him…to whoever these memories belonged to.

But most of all, he remembered the anger.

The anger towards anyone who would dare harm Lucy; to anyone who tried to take her away from him.

The anger filled his soul, made his heart glow like a raging fire and it filled his veins to the point where his skin began to steam.

He didn't care where the anger came from. It didn't matter.

The anger was his strength.

The anger was his power.

He openly embraced that anger and let it consume him.

His arm blade, still extended, rapidly began to drip lava before suddenly bursting into flames; the oxygen being sucked into it with a loud "FWOOSH!"

"UNNACEPTABLE!" The voice raged again and E.N.D stood, turning around to face the source.

"Filthy, disgusting human filth! How dare you try to corrupt Master E.N.D with your feeble emotions!?" Mard Geer raged, having dug himself out of the rubble his master had sent him into and immediately rushing back to the throne room. His vines flailed about him, mirroring his anger.

"**I thought I warned you to quit pissing me off?"** E.N.D said, his eyes having turned completely red and glowing brilliantly.

"Master, how could you let yourself be deceived by those disgusting creatures!? They are our enemy! You should be ripping them apart, not conversing with them!"

E.N.D hissed in warning.

"**You have me confused for someone else, can't you take a hint you insolent whelp?!" **

Mard Geer's eyes widened as his shoulders and hands trembled. And then all of the sudden…he calmed.

"It is clear to Mard Geer now that your memory still eludes you. It is clear to Mard Geer that those vile humans have tainted your already confused mind even further."

Mard Geer inhaled deeply before a wicked, demented smile formed on his lips.

"If master can't remember…than Mard Geer will make him remember!"

Mard Geer began to cackle, even as E.N.D took a combative stance and his wings flared out.

"Your true purpose shall be realized master! Mard Geer will rid you of those humans and give you your memory back!"

The vines calmed and began to aim for the both E.N.D and the Fairy Tail mages.

"**Go ahead and try."** E.N.D hissed as the first vines shot forth.

And in the back of his mind, a voice called out to him. It was quiet, barely noticeable, but he heard it regardless.

"_I'm all fired up!"_

XXXX

From a vantage point nearby, a young man sat on collapsed column as hid dark brown eyes watched the fighting ensue.

His short black hair drifted in the breeze as did the white toga and red and brown robes that covered his body.

From the eyes that watched the fighting with an almost disbelieving glee, tears slowly fell down the man's cheeks as a smile spread across his lips.

"At long last," the man said, his tone both of glee and relief, "after all this time, he has become strong enough."

The man stood as his eyes briefly flashed from brown to red…but the joy never left them.

"Natsu finally has the power to kill me. I can finally die."

In that moment in time, Zeref, creator and master of the demons of Tartarus, realized that the solace that had eluded him for four hundred years…was now so very close at hand.

And he would do anything to prevent it from slipping away.

XXXX

A/N: So, what do ya'll think? Am I off to a good start for a short story? Yes this was a bit on the short side of things but it is what it is.

I had wanted to post this earlier but having read the most recent FT chapter, I had to make some quick edits to the plot that I had in mind.

As I said everyone, this was a spur of the moment idea so I'm just making this up as I go along; creativity liberty and guesstimating at its finest! Also, don't expect a lot of chapters, just three or four at the least, five at the most. I'll update this when I can but I still have two of my other stories that are in need of an update so I want to wrangle those first before I try fitting this into what I already have going on.

Still, I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter, and don't worry, the whole memory loss thing will be explained next chapter; count on it!

Next time; CHAPTER 2: Melee

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING!


	2. Chapter 2: Melee

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back! My mind has been on fire with ideas for this latest chapter, and considering what happened in the two latest FT chapters, my creativity has been going into overdrive…basically; I HAD AN URGE TO WORK ON THIS WHILE MULTITASKING MY OTHER STUFF!

Plus, I was off from college for Thanksgiving break so that helped (I hope everyone here in the U.S. and our neighbors to the north had a wonderful and happy Turkey Day!).

Speaking of the latest FT chapters, as you are about to see, this chapter will draw inspiration from them and then some. I swear to God, something big is coming soon and I think Natsu is going to have an even bigger role to play than he already does. But then again, this is Fairy Tail we're talking about so one never truly knows.

I am very happy to see how much of a positive response this story has gotten; I honestly wasn't expecting that many reviews. Thank you to everyone who posted a review, I'm glad to know that I'm doing well with this story.

So, in this chapter, expect END!Natsu to be dealing with a slight personality disorder, END!Natsu losing his temper while "leveling up", an all-out slug fest with Mard Geer…and _four_ surprise visitors to the battlefield. This chapter will be longer than the previous one (44 pages overall!) so hold onto something; because an epic, double beat down is about to begin.

In all seriousness, I think out of all the things I've written so far, this is going to be the most epic piece yet.

Also, a scene in this chapter was inspired by a picture of END!Natsu and Lucy made by _rboz_ on Tumblr. She's an amazing artist, so all credit goes to her for the picture...which in turn inspired the scene. If you look around, you should be able to find it. For those of you who know what I'm talking about, you'll see what I mean when you read it. Once again credit goes to _rboz_ for the picture; I'm just writing what I was inspired to write.

But, before we continue, here is a shout out to you wonderful people who left seventeen (17!) wonderful reviews:

_**Amanda:**_ Hello there and welcome to the story! Yay, you were the first reviewer!

_**EclipticChaos:**_ Hello there and welcome to the story. No offense but I'm not sure how to respond to "…" but I'll take that as a good thing X).

_**dragonball256: **_Hello and welcome to the story! If you thought last time was epic, I wonder what you'll think of this chapter. I have a feeling Natsu is END. Despite it being somewhat obvious that he is, I would feel like if it were someone else, it would be a rather big smack to the face. Don't worry about Igneel, he'll be here soon enough, you'll see.

_**Gh0st's buddy:**_ Hello there and welcome; I'm glad you are enjoying everything so far. I'm a sap for details, what can I say? X)

_**Ichihime4:**_ Hello there! Long time no see, how are you?! I'm glad you like the story so far. O-oh my…that's an innuendo if I've ever seen one (lol!). If liked last time, then prepare yourself for what is coming in this chapter.

_**Zangetsu50:**_ Hello there! Welcome to the story; I'm glad you're enjoying it.

_**NyxFairy:**_ Hello there and welcome to the story; been a while hasn't it? Yes, things are pointing END in Natsu's direction.

_**Hoko-Ryuu:**_ Welcome to the story, glad you're liking it!

_**LpboyXIII:**_ Hello and welcome! Glad to know I'm on the right track!

_**CopDog:**_ Hello there! Glad to know you're enjoying this END Natsu story.

_**Fire girl 108:**_ Hello and welcome to the story, nice to know you're enjoying it!

_**Dark Shining Light:**_ Hello, glad to know you're enjoying the story! :)

_**WildHeart4ever:**_ Hello there and welcome back, long time no see! Glad to know you like the story. It'll be short but I'll work hard to make it worthwhile.

_**BigBadBen: **_Hello there and welcome to the story! That's quite the response there, I'm glad you're liking the story so far!

_**fairytailblossom:**_ Hi there, sorry for the late update, glad you're enjoying things so far.

_**xxTheNightmareBeforexx: **_Hello, I'm glad you're enjoying things so far; I hope this chapter is better than the last!

_**Wacko12: **_Hi there, long time no see; I'm well aware of the debate of what color Natsu's eyes are. I've heard that they're onyx and that they're dark green. Personally, I think they're green so until otherwise, I'm sticking with that; it is what it is.

So, now that that's taken care of, let's continue with the story!

XXXX

CHAPTER 2: Melee

XXXX

_**Then…**_

How it had started, he had no idea.

For the longest time-or what could be added up to the span of an eternity-he had known darkness. A cold, soulless, timeless, ageless and senseless void of nothing.

Just…nothing.

That is all that can describe darkness; a loneliness and an evil so powerful that nothing is felt.

He drifted in that darkness, his mind since lost; his memories mere broken, shattered fragments of what they used to be.

He would catch a faint whisper though every once in a while; an echo of a memory or name that filtered across his ears only to be forgotten moments later.

Natsu, one voice would whisper with an image of a blazing fire; the heat so tangible that when it went away he would cry out at the loss of the comfort the heat gave.

E.N.D, another voice would say with the memory of vast power, power unlike he had ever experienced, ready to be used with just a snap of his fingers. But then that too would disappear…and the emptiness would return. And in turn he would return back to the void where seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, day, night and seasons-where time itself, did not exist.

He remembers wondering which had passed first, an eon, millennia or eternity itself.

And it started. For what reason, out of the blue-or void as it were-he felt it.

The call to return.

He had been summoned.

And as his senses returned, so did his memories at long last.

He remembered his name.

"I am E.N.D." He said, finally finding his voice.

He remembered who he was.

"I am E.N.D, the greatest of Lord Zeref's creations. I am the ultimate incarnation of evil; my curses beget magic and the humans-the slime-who wield it."

But most of all, he remembered his purpose.

"I am E.N.D…and my one true goal is to return to Lord Zeref. I am to take his life and in turn, reshape the world the way it was meant to be."

As his senses returned, he could feel another presence-a magic that drew him like a moth to a flame. It was a familiar sensation of heat and fire.

His host…the one named Natsu.

Soon he could feel his power wrestle with his host; feeding off of his energies as he did so. Power, nourishment and strength returned.

The host's soul resisted.

He was making things complicated.

"Do not resist." E.N.D had commanded, "You are making this much harder than it should be."

"Never!" the host raged, "Get out of my head; I don't want you here!"

E.N.D sighed. He could see his host now as the curse took shape and form as fire-a fire which burned away the soul and consumed all that there was. His host was tall, with spikey pink hair and a soul of untapped power and potential. A strong but slightly dim witted human…perfect for E.N.D's needs.

But there was something about this human's magic. Something familiar-

"Ah," E.N.D had said in understanding, "you're magic…I thought it was familiar."

"You must be the son of that bastard lizard that tried to kill me all those years ago. Imagine that, the son of Igneel the fire king is to be my host!?"

E.N.D had laughed at that. It had been a long time since he laughed.

"Oh the irony! I can't wait to see the look on that overconfident son of a bitch's face when he realizes who now controls his son. I'll savor that memory…_as I rip his heart out_."

"No!" Nastu had protested, "You leave him alone; you leave my father alone!"

He could feel E.N.D's power overwhelming him. It was impossible to fight back against. The demon was too strong, even for him!

"And when I'm done with the lizard, I'll take my time slowly with those friends of yours. What? You didn't think I could see your memories? You are my body now boy which means I own you; you're my little bitch to control…and all you can do is watch."

"No!" Natsu had said as memories were forced before his eyes, the fire burning him…changing him.

"All you'll be able to do is watch as I slaughter your precious "nakama". Oh I'll take my time with this lot," E.N.D reaffirmed, "hmmm, let's see. I think I'll find Wendy-"

The memory of the sky dragon slayer flashed before his eyes; the girl he thought of as his quasi-little sister.

"-and I'll make you break her heart; both literally and figuratively. She'll realize with the utmost despair that you are as good as dead…right as you rip her heart from her chest."

E.N.D bombarded Natsu's mind of Wendy being put through such a horrible demise. Of her screaming for Natsu to stop but to no avail; her eyes wide and pouring tears as blood spilled from her mouth-her feet dangling helplessly off the ground.

"No!" Natsu screamed.

"And then there's Gray; your brother, your best friend. He seems so set on stopping me that I wonder how he'll react when he sees you. Hmmm? Let's ask him as I rip his arms out other their sockets!"

Another image. Another gore soaked montage.

"And who do we have here?" E.N.D said in sadistic glee.

"No…" Natsu pleaded as his body changed, the pain-both physically and emotionally-ripping his body asunder.

More images.

More names.

Happy, Erza, Asuka, Alzack and Bisca, Lisanna, Cana, Elfman, Master Makarov, Laxus, Mirajane, Sting, Rogue, Romeo…the list went on and on. With each name, E.N.D made their deaths more gruesome than the last.

All of his friends-all of the people he cared about-were in danger of dying by his hands when he had no control over them.

"NO!" Natsu had screamed, hands clawing at his head, "NO! NOOOOO!"

"It's over now boy; you're mine." E.N.D had sneered before pausing slightly, "And when all is said and done…I think I know who I'll save for last."

A series of images and memories appeared before Natsu's mind.

"No…" Natsu had pleaded, "oh God not _her_; please just leave her alone!"

"But why!?" E.N.D had cackled, "With a response like that, of course I'll save her for last!"

"She'll watch as everyone both she and you care about are slaughtered and torn limb from limb! And then she'll beg you for mercy, beg you to come back! But it'll be of no use."

Had E.N.D known what he was getting into, he would have realized that had just opened the proverbial Pandora's Box.

"She'll die like the rest of your pathetic kind." E.N.D had hissed.

Natsu's mind had stilled then…and E.N.D immediately sensed something was wrong with his host. The images of this Lucy girl began to appear in mass and despite Natsu struggling in pain on the outside, his mind had become a maelstrom of desperation, anger and…love?

"No." Natsu hissed, "No, no, no, no, no!"

"You stay away from her!" Natsu screamed, "I won't ever let you harm Lucy; I won't let you take her away from me!"

An energy and magic so powerful and bright began to overwhelm both E.N.D and Natsu, the memories fuelling the power on.

"I'LL NEVER TURN AGAINST LUCY!" Natsu ragged, "I WILL NEVER. HURT. _MY._ LUCY!"

The power had become overwhelming and for the fraction of a second, his control slipped.

It was then, that the light of the magic burst forward with blinding vigor.

"What the f-!?" was all E.N.D managed to say before everything changed.

XXXX

He had awoken, face first on the ground, his body aching and feeling as if it had just been lit on fire.

The whole situation sucked, to put it bluntly.

"Master E.N.D," A voice called out, "; awaken!"

Yeah…that sounded like a good idea. Pushing himself up and standing, he felt the joints in his knees crack and pop. And his spine, oh his spine was making noises that only a breaking tree branch should make!

"_Holy crap"_ he thought, "_I needed that!"_

Being asleep for who knows how long could really give one such a crick in the back.

He had stood with his eyes closed, trying to regain what currently passed as his senses. On a mental command, his wings shot out, inadvertently clearing the dust away from him as they stretched. He began to concentrate on his surroundings, as his he became attuned to his environment. Behind his eyelids, he could see that he was not alone as indicated by the flickering blue flames in front of him.

Souls, he remembered…human souls.

A presence behind him also tugged at his senses and the color red came to mind.

A demon…much like himself…he thought.

He heard voices from the humans but paid them no mind as he straightened his shoulders and deeply took his first breathe in what had been ages. He growled in pleasure, a gentle clicking noise at the taste of the fresh air. Although he did taste what appeared to be dust and ash in the world.

The one behind him continued to speak but he paid him no mind as he opened his eyes to take in the world around him…while also dealing with persistent aches in certain places.

Slowly blinking twice he dealt with the aches by equally slowly cracking his neck, toes and knuckles, which he popped on at a time. He then flexed his arms, shoulders, knees and back, emitting a similarly loud popping of bone and joints. The wings did the same, as per his command. Funny how those things worked.

He was once again drawn to the humans in front of him. Their voices…their scents…it was all familiar to him…but why?

He didn't know these humans…at least, he didn't think he knew them.

It was then that his attention was drawn to his hands, which were still raised from cracking his knuckles; armored but colored a brushed black. He could see that the skin that wasn't covered was a dull red and had a scale like pattern.

Had he always looked like this?

He couldn't remember.

As the humans and the demon squabbled, he tuned them out and dealt with his own personal problem; who was he?

He could remember his name; E.N.D. Or at least he thought that was his name.

Why was it so hard to remember something that was so simple?

"_Hey you!"_ A voice echoed in his head and he found himself in a different place.

It was dark but the spot he was standing at was illuminated by an overhead light… from somewhere.

"Down here." The voice said again. Complying, he looked down and found himself looking at a…child?

He had short, spikey pink hair and wore sandals, khaki cargo shorts and a red, long sleeved shirt. A scarf, similar to dragon's scales was wrapped around his neck. But most of all, he had the greenest eyes he had ever seen in a human-well…as far as he knew.

The boy smiled brightly, exposing his fanged canines.

"'Sup?" the boy said and he cocked an eyebrow.

"**Uhm…hello?"** He said, noting how strange his voice sounded, **"Who are you, how did you get here and where are we?"**

"My name is Natsu; Natsu Dragneel! I'm the strongest mage in Fairy Tail!" The boy, Natsu beamed, before his smile became smaller, tamer.

"Well…one day I'll be the strongest. To be honest; I'm you and you're me!"

"…**I find that very hard to believe kid." **He replied skeptically.

"It's true. As to where we are, we're in _our_ head. I didn't "get" here…I've always been here. We're the same person so it makes sense that we'd end up here."

"**Not really,"** he said, **"pardon me if I don't take you seriously squirt."**

"Oi, don't talk to yourself like that!" Natsu said, before shaking his head, "None of that matters anyway. I don't have long before the big bad guy comes back."

"**Who? And wait a minute how did this happen?" **He said, barely registering something else making itself known at the edge of his senses.

"E.N.D," Natsu said looking around, "he's a really bad and tough demon. I don't remember how this happened but I remembered him making me really angry when he threatened all of my friends…especially Lucy; no one hurts Lucy."

"**Who?"** he asked, a question directed at this E.N.D and Lucy, **"And isn't my name E.N.D as well?"**

"No time to explain," Natsu said, "let's just say you're Good E.N.D and he's Bad E.N.D. Bad E.N.D will be back and he'll try to make you do some really bad stuff. I'll stay here and hold him off. When you get back to the real world…try your hardest to remember who you are…who you were…and protect Lucy and the others too."

He was silent…but nodded in agreement after a pause. He didn't know why, but he felt like he could trust Natsu unlike the dark presence on the edge of his senses. As the world faded back to reality, he could hear the demon drone on and on in that haughty, over confident and arrogant manner of his.

It was annoying and it was starting to piss him off.

"Oh," Natsu said, calling back-his voice a faint echo, "and punch that guy really hard too. His name is Mard Geer, the Demon King of Tartarus; he's a big jerk who won't shut up!"

And then he was gone.

He stood, stock still and clenched his hands into fists, making the knuckles pop as he looked over his shoulder.

Yeah…making that guy shut up was sounding like a _really_ good idea.

XXXX

_**Now…**_

With a brutal right cross, Mard Geer was sent stumbling back as E.N.D continued his assault on the leader of Zeref's demons. He had easily cut and burned his way through Mard Geer's initial attack and countered with one of his own.

Turning into the punch, E.N.D delivered a follow up spin kick that hit directly into the center of the demon kings chest-sending him flying through the ruins of a brick wall.

E.N.D landed on his feet, knees bent and shook his hand. Even with the armor covering his arm, that punch had made his wrist go numb just for a second. This Mard Geer guy was turning out to be one tough son of a bitch after all.

While the demon king was down, E.N.D glanced over his shoulder back to the humans behind him. The one, a short blue haired girl-Levy, he thought he'd heard her name was-was tending to Lucy, who clutched her shoulder in pain.

"**Damn it,"** E.N.D whispered, **"I should've seen that coming."**

E.N.D's head quickly snapped forward when he felt an increase in dark magic, just as a number of thorn vines shot from the rubble.

"You're reflexes are slow Master," Mard Geer sneered as he emerged from the rubble, "even further proof that the humans were trying to corrupt you with their filth."

"_Look out!"_ Natsu cried out from within his head.

E.N.D's left hand snapped out, palm up and fingers splayed.

"**Fire curse!" **E.N.D yelled as a large fireball shot forth from his hand, incinerating the thorns it raced to.

Some thorns however, dodged the attack and impaled themselves on the ground, missing the mages only thanks to their quick reflexes.

E.N.D growled and slammed both his hands onto the ground, magma like cracks forming in his armored forearms and hands.

"**Volcanic crag!"** E.N.D said as the ground before him swiftly split open in a winding chasm that filled with magma and reached Mard Geer.

The demon king simply took to the sky but E.N.D was prepared for this as he drew his right hand into a fist and punched the ground.

"**Erupt!"** He said and the magma flared and exploded out in a tremendous but concentrated geyser of lava.

The attack had reached Mard Geer just as he was halfway off the ground and engulfed him in the burning liquid rock. Bits of molten slag rained down on E.N.D but he simply raised his one wing to shield him. He growled slightly.

"**That was too easy."** He said, eyes narrowing.

From within the geyser, Mard Geer came flying out like a bat out of hell. He skin was smoking but he was wide eyed and smiling in amusement. He was upon E.N.D in the blink of an eye and had slammed his palm into E.N.D's face and forced his head into the ground, dragging him along as Mard Geer rapidly flew over the ground.

"**Yep!"** E.N.D said, his voice muffled but not sounding the least affected by the attack, **"Too easy!"**

Mard Geer glided for a moment before slamming his foot down to the ground, sliding low with E.N.D still in his grip. Grabbing his master by the jaw, Mard Geer lifted E.N.D up singly handedly while he was inverted and slammed him head first back into the ground in a move similar to that of a pile driver. E.N.D's back and legs arched down at a weird angle and his arms flopped to the sides, his wings flat against the ground.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out in panic only to be held back by Levy.

"No Lu-chan, stay put!" Levy said, "You're still hurt!"

"But I have to help Natsu!" Lucy protested.

"Relax," Gajeel said as he observed E.N.D's condition, "I don't think Salamander's going down that easily."

"**Of course you realize,"** E.N.D said, his voice muffled from beneath the stone, **"**_**this means war**_**."**

He tapped his foot to the ground and a black spike fired forth from the ground in front at Mard Geer at high velocity, striking him in the shoulder and taking him off his feet. Back flipping into the attack, Mard Geer slid to a halt right side up and looked at the projectile lodged in his shoulder; the wound leaking blood.

"It's been a long time since Mard Geer has seen his own blood." Mard Geer mused as he ripped out the spike and tossed it away.

E.N.D had since used his wings to push and pull himself up to his feet as he turned to face the demon king. His neck and head were bent to the side at a broken angle. Had E.N.D been anyone else, he would have died from his neck snapping like a twig.

"**Get used to it."** E.N.D said as he popped the joints back in place with a sickening series of crunches.

"**Because there will be a lot more where that came from."**

The two regarded each other for a moment as Mard Geer's eyes narrowed.

"Tell me Master, why are you holding onto bonds which should have been broken with your awakening?"

E.N.D did not reply, he simply raised an eye brow in question.

"You are the master of all of Lord Zeref's demons; in fact you are the strongest demon born form Lord Zeref himself. But in spite of all of this, you still hold onto the past…you let it cloud your memory, judgment and vision. You defend those filthy humans when you and Mard Geer should be eradicating them as we speak for defying our might and power. After all that has been done to return you, why do you forsake your own destiny?"

E.N.D inhaled deeply and cocked his head slightly to the side.

"**I have no memory of what you speak."** E.N.D said, before pointing to the Fairy Tail Mage's, **"I am not who you want me to be…and the way you're describing me, I refuse to let myself become it."**

E.N.D ignored the mental cheer of Natsu in his head while the other presence, which was now making itself known, growled in anger.

"**I can't explain why I feel the way I do towards those humans. But I feel that there is something there…something familiar about them that is helping maintain my grip on myself. Until I figure out what that is, I will not harm them and I will most certainly not allow you to do the same."**

Mard Geer glowered at his master. Why was he refusing to accept his destiny? Why was he choosing the humans over his own kind!? Those disgusting life forms that didn't deserve to walk the same ground as him and E.N.D, let alone live in the same world. But most of all; how did those humans still have such a strong hold over his master!?

It was a sickening and ludicrous idea which only served to deepen his glower. If that was the case, Mard Geer decided, then he was just going to have to do what he had been saying all along; kill the humans. In the most brutal way imaginable. Only then would E.N.D be free, he reasoned.

His eyes flickered to the mages and then back to his master, a smirk playing out on his lips.

E.N.D caught the movement of Mard Geer's eyes and lips and he instantly went on edge.

"**Don't you even dare."** E.N.D warned.

Mard Geer chuckled in that arrogant manner of his that grated on E.N.D's nerves.

"Sorry Master…but you really should learn to worry more about yourself than others."

It happened to quickly for E.N.D to react. So distracted had he been with Mard Geer, he had failed to notice the vine with razor sharp thorns decorating it slowly snake its way near him. With the speed and precision of a viper, the vice snapped up and severed E.N.D's right arm from his shoulder, making him cry out in surprise, anger and pain.

Lava spurted out from the wound as the arm sailed into the air before tumbling to the ground. The lava singed and burned the ground as E.N.D clamped his free hand over the wound while letting off a string of profanity laced curses.

"NATSU!" Lucy cried out in panic and only then did Mard Geer smirk in delight.

His plan had worked. Master E.N.D was crippled and vulnerable to his combination attack.

From within the ground, vines of thorns sprouted to ensnare E.N.D and immobilize him. The vines lifted him up into the air just high enough for the ground beneath him to crumble as a Mard Geer's Prison Flower returned.

The bulb of chains and thorns opened and began to slowly engulf E.N.D.

"Hang on Natsu!" Gray called out as he summoned his ice sword-ready to channel his demon slayer magic, "We're on our way!"

The ice mage and his fellow mages made to charge Mard Geer but the demon king had been expecting this.

"Gullible fools." He said and cast out his hand, causing more vines to appear from within the ground.

"Nice try!" Gray said as he cut a series of vines in two, "But that attack only works so many times!"

"Yeah!" Lisanna said, still in her cat animal soul form as she used her claws to cut the vines, "It'll take more than these overgrown plants to stop us!"

Then the vines suddenly stilled in their attacks, pausing midair. Only then did the mages notice something…eerie.

Mard Geer was laughing. He was laughing in what appeared to be absolute amusement.

"What's so funny freak." Gajeel hissed.

Stifling his laughter, Mard Geer looked down upon the mages, his demented smile never leaving his face.

"Mard Geer cannot believe how utterly stupid you humans are!" He said, "You humans are so stupid that it actually amuses me! You walked right into a trap and didn't even know it!"

The vines began to twitch and suddenly, tendrils of sharper, smaller vines burst from within the parent vines. They shot out with blinding speed to the mages.

"Weak!" Mard Geer said.

The Fairy mages once again resumed their attacks but found that even when they cut the vines down, more would take their place. It was like macabre version of a hydra from ancient legend.

"Pathetic!" Mard Geer cried out in delight, "How absolutely pathetic."

The first mage to be ensnared was Lisanna. She had just swiped her paw when a series of tendrils quickly wrapped around her wrist and snapped her arm out to side, causing her to stumble. The other vines followed in rapid succession. Soon her left wrist was caught along with her ankles. Her limbs were pulled out to the point where she began to cry out from the pain. She felt like she was slowly on the verge of being pulled apart. More vines followed and continued to snake up and around her arms, legs, midriff, chest and throat; the thorns squeezing her and making her bleed while also choking the life out of her.

One by one, the Fairy Mages found themselves in a similar predicament. It was a valiant fight but a futile one as they were all lifted into the air for Mard Geer and E.N.D to see.

Mard Geer looked to E.N.D who continued to struggle within his prison, the bulb nearly close to sealing itself shut.

"As much as Mard Geer wants you watch their last moments, I'm afraid the flower won't allow that."

E.N.D snarled and fiercely tugged against the thorns and chains of the flower.

"But you can listen however." Mard Geer sneered, "You can listen to their final moments. Listen to their screams. Listen as the last shreds of doubt are purged from you."

The bulb closed shut with a mucous like "slurp" and E.N.D was sealed away.

"You'll thank Mard Geer for this, when you have regained your senses." The demon said before turning to the mages, raising his hand and slowly closing fingers to his palm.

"Now humans," Mard Geer sneered, "please do us all a favor and _die_."

As per the demons command, the vines began to tighten, cut and pull. The mages would slowly be ripped limb from limb, powerless to stop their own deaths.

Cries of pain and protest managed to escape the mages mouths.

Gajeel struggled to grab Levy's hand but found her to be out of reach despite the tips of their fingers brushing.

Juvia frantically called out for Gray as a series of vines dug into his open wounds, making him cry out in agony.

"NATSU!" Lucy screamed, "NATSU; HELP US!"

The vines tightened around her neck but still she cried out to Natsu/E.N.D.

"N-NATSU!" she screamed, "H-HELP M-ME!"

A single vine slithered up her arm before digging itself into her shoulder wound while the vines constricted around her throat. Lucy began to gasp in panic and pain, her mouth agape, eyes widening and streaming with tears.

"There'll be none of that from you." Mard Geer said, "You're "Natsu" no longer exists; he is dead…and soon you shall be joining him."

"N-Natsu…" Lucy rasped weakly as her struggling began to slow; her limbs starting to slacken.

The other mages began to do the same.

"N-N-Natsu…" Lucy choked out, her vision blurring and fading, "N-Na…Na…Nat…su…"

Her eyes slowly began to roll up into her head and only then did Lucy realize that she was about to die; that Natsu wasn't going to get to her in time. That he wasn't going to save her or the others.

And the worst part wasn't the fact that she was about to die, it was that she wasn't able to help Natsu…to bring him back to the light.

…Suddenly, the Prison Flower began to convulse and thrash about as if in the throes of death agony.

"WHAT?!" Mard Geer yelled, his head snapping to the flower.

The bulb trembled and shook as it began to expand outward, a ripping sound emanating from the inside.

And then it violently exploded.

In a shower of chunks and slime, the bulb violently burst apart…courtesy of E.N.D's wings which were now flared and fanned out. The demon then fell to the ground in a heap of slime and torn thorns.

"Impossible!" Mard Geer said in alarm, his eyes wide, "You were fully locked away!"

Slowly, E.N.D rose to his feet and the thorns slid off his body.

The slime that coated him from head to toe began to sizzle, pop and steam as it quickly evaporated off of his body. The air shimmered from the heat radiating off of E.N.D as the glow of his heart increased in tandem with the heat. His head lowered, E.N.D moved his right side in the general direction he had lost his arm. From within the still lava-bleeding wound, a black ichor burst forth and shot out to the severed limb; promptly grabbing it and returning just as swiftly to the shoulder. The arm, now back in place, was fused back to E.N.D's body in brief puff of steam.

Trembling hands balled into fists, the knuckles cracking, as E.N.D raised his head.

His expression said it all: he wasn't angry, he was most definitely not livid and he sure as hell wasn't pissed. He was furious, plain and simple.

His eyes now completely glowed a vibrant shade of crimson as cracks broke out in the skin around the edges of his eyes; which glowed an equal fiery red.

His jaw, which had remained shut since his awakening, slowly began to open with a series of audible cracks; a loud and angered hiss emanating from the slowly opening maw.

"_**I..,"**_ E.N.D growled in fury, _**"I am one hundred and ten percent done with your bullshit!"**_

E.N.D's left hand snapped up in the direction of the trapped mages, fingers curled in a claw like fashion. The air around the vines began to shimmer from a sudden wave of extreme heat and a hissing sound like the boiling of water could be heard. Then, suddenly, the vines burst into flames and quickly withered away to ash; releasing the mages and letting them fall to the ground.

They were gasping desperately for air and covered in sweat from the sudden heat, but were otherwise alright; the fire having caused them no harm.

Mard Geer looked from the mages to E.N.D in disbelief. E.N.D too had been looking to the mages, more importantly Lucy who slowly began to push herself up from the ground. She felt E.N.D's gaze on her and she looked up to find him looking at her.

"Natsu…" she whispered, her voice hoarse as she rubbed her neck. Her eyes, which had been wide and stricken in pain, now shimmered with hope and joy.

"_Nice save!"_ Natsu called out from within his mind.

_Disgusting,_ the Other voice hissed, _you should have left them to die._

"_Oh shut up already."_ Natsu said, annoyed at the other E.N.D's return.

_How dare you talk to me like that,_ the Other hissed, _watch it boy or I'll make you suffer for your insolence._

"_Go ahead and try."_ Natsu retorted.

E.N.D didn't reply to either voice, he simply turned his eyes towards Mard Geer, his maw opening slightly in a growl. Without warning, he bolted towards the demon king, using his wings to give him an extra burst of speed. Mard Geer had no time to react as E.N.D dropped his left foot down, cratering the rubble and bringing his right fist forward in a devastating straight punch.

Mard Geer was sent careening back, end over end before tumbling to a stop. E.N.D inhaled deeply as his heart glowed even fiercer than it already was and E.N.D raised his head back.

"**Incineration Blast!" **E.N.D hissed.

Stomping his foot forward, arms curled at his sides, E.N.D flung his head forward-mouth open-as a fierce jet of fire erupted out with a tremendous roar of air.

The mages could only watch and compare the attack to that of a dragon breathing fire…which for all intents and purposes was what the attack was.

The jet of fire was right on target when it hit E.N.D, causing both him and the area he landed in to explode in terrific blast of fire. Mard Geer himself was blasted out of the flames, his body smoking and partially on fire as he tumbled and rolled on the ground.

The edges of E.N.D's maw curled up slightly in what could be seen as a satisfied grin. He closed the maw, which was still smoking, and locked it back in place. E.N.D rose and cracked his neck; Mard Geer was obviously down for the count…but E.N.D wanted to make sure he stayed down…permanently.

Walking over to Mard Geer, E.N.D looked over to his shoulder; locking eyes with Gray.

"**Stay put,"** he said, **"this won't take long."**

"R-right." Gray said, still in shock over the previous bout of attacks.

"_Holy shit,"_ he thought, _"so this is the power of the Master of Tartarus…unbelievable…unbelievable."_

The rubble crunched beneath his boots as E.N.D calmly walked over to Mard Geer, who had since doused the fire that had coated him. He stood on shaking legs while his body had reverted back to its "human" appearance.

"**Well…well…well," **E.N.D taunted, coming to a stop a few yards away**, "so this is what you look like. You know, I find it ironic that for you proclaiming to be the king of demons…you're surprisingly **_**human**_**."**

Mard Geer, who had a fine trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth and was covered in a multitude of cuts and bruises, felt his eyes widen in shock.

"W-what?" Mard Geer said in shock, "What did you just say?"

"**You heard me."** E.N.D continued, his tone similar to the mocking tone Mard Geer had been using before, **"You bleed like a human, you get angry like a human…and you even share their arrogance. Face it; for all your talk of being an all-powerful demon…you're more human than you let on."**

"Master…" E.N.D hissed as his body began to twitch slightly in anger, "how…how could you…how dare you insinuate such a thing! I, Mard Geer, am a demon of Zeref; a far superior being compared to such wretched filth as those lowly humans!"

"**That's not the case from my point of view."** E.N.D said, his eye brow raised skeptically.

"Don't patronize me Master!" Mard Geer snapped, "I, who carried out Lord Zeref's will while you were gone! I, who brought the true meaning of fear and suffering to those humans! I, who have worked tirelessly to facilitate your resurrection!"

Mard Geer's body quaked in fury.

"How dare you compare me to the likes of a human when I have shown them the inferiority of their resistance; the inferiority of their species!"

His hand snapped out to point at E.N.D

"And if I, Mard Geer-the Demon King of Tartarus-must destroy you in the process to make you realize it; then so be it!"

A black mist suddenly materialized out of the air surrounding E.N.D but also made its way to the Fairy Tail mages.

"Oh shit," Gray said aloud, "not again!"

"What is that?!" Cana said with Lisanna's arm slung over her shoulder, "Some sort of mist?!"

"No," Gray said, "something much worse, we have to get out of here; now!"

"You're not going anywhere." Mard Geer hissed, "You're going to stay right there and disappear; out of sight and out of mind."

Gray made to run but found the mist had quickly surrounded him and the others.

"Gray-sama…" Juvia said as she moved closer to Gray…but found that she couldn't.

"What!?" Juvia said in surprise, "I-I can't move!"

E.N.D also tried to face the mages but found his body locked in place. His eyes flickered to Mard Geer, a glare on his features.

"**What are you doing?"** E.N.D hissed.

Mard Geer smiled his demented, wide eyed smile.

"Mard Geer is casting a curse that he had originally created to destroy Lord Zeref. But seeing as how you survived it the first time Mard Geer casted this, Mard Geer has no doubt you will survive again. But, this curse will erase all traces of humanity from you…as well as those humans. It is a curse that will not kill you nor keep you alive but merely erase you…for all eternity. You will cease to exist."

"**What?"** E.N.D said.

"The curse will awaken you while erasing those meddlesome humans…you will be completely free. You will be reborn in the fires of destruction…and all shall be made right. All shall return to the way it was meant to be." Mard Geer continued and the mist seemed to engulf the mages and E.N.D.

"Through death, there shall be rebirth…" Mard Geer said, focusing his dark magic, hand raised.

Knowing he had to act fast, E.N.D began to fight the pull of the mist, twisting his head, and torso to turn around while struggling to raise his left arm. His body screamed in protest; the bones on the verge from snapping from the strain.

But he ignored the pain.

He knew on some level, he would survive this attack…but the mages wouldn't. They weren't as strong as he was.

"**Fire…Shield."** E.N.D said through a strained voice.

A ring of fire swiftly formed a perimeter around the mages, cutting the mist off and freeing them just as Mard Geer finished his curse.

"…_Memento Mori."_ Mard Geer said.

"NO!" Gray called out, watching E.N.D through the fire, "NATSU!"

And then, in a blast of dark energy, a beam of dark ethereal spirits exploded out from the ground and engulfed E.N.D. The ground shattered and flew apart and the mages tried to shield themselves as the blast wave caused the fire shield to waver and die.

XXXX

Inside the dark beam, a different scene was unfolding within E.N.D's mind.

E.N.D could feel the energies of the attack work their way across his body; trying to pull him apart…trying to make him disappear. He resisted the curse, focusing his own power against it and felt some success against the curse: the feeling of his arms disintegrating wasn't as noticeable.

He knew, however, that he couldn't hold out forever. He had to do something…but what?

"Hang on!" He heard Natsu call out to him in his mind, "Just hang in there, you can do this; we can do this!"

"**I'm not so sure about that,"** E.N.D said his voice strained and winced, feeling a sharp pain spread through his abdomen, **"I can't keep this up forever."**

_You're right,_ the voice of the Other sneered, _once you're power breaks you're as good as dead._

The other chuckled in amusement.

_But I can be of some assistance. I can give you the power to not only survive this curse but to put Mard Geer down._

"Don't listen to him!" Natsu called out, "You can't trust him!"

_And what reason would you have not to?_ The other asked, _Mard Geer may be one of my demons, but he is trying to destroy you with this spell…he is in turn trying to destroy me without realizing it. That is unacceptable._

"**So you'll help me by turning against the loudmouth,"** E.N.D said, **"but who's to say you won't do the same to me?!"**

_You have no alternative,_ the Other said wickedly, _C'mon, embrace a little darkness. It'll do you wonders if you just open your mind a little to me._

"Don't listen to him," Natsu pleaded, "You can't trust him."

E.N.D was quiet for a moment.

"…**Do it."** His said finally.

The other began to chuckle in a menacing manner and he could sense Natsu's shock.

"**I'm sorry Natsu, but I have no choice,"** E.N.D said, **"…but don't worry. I won't let him get his claws into me."**

_We'll see about that_, the Other said as he began to channel his power to E.N.D.

_We'll see about that._

From deep within, E.N.D felt a new power course through his veins. It was intoxicating and overwhelming…it took everything he had to remain focused and not let the dark magic consume him. Focusing on his new power, he let it radiate out against the curse that had enveloped him.

He let the darkness…fight against the darkness.

…Overall, the entire exchange had lasted no more than a few seconds.

XXXX

The curse of Memento Mori fired off into the sky, the dark energies circling about it. The mages of Fairy Tail could only watch as E.N.D had been engulfed in the attack; seemingly disappearing.

"No," Gray whispered, "not again…not again."

"Natsu." Lucy said, tears brimming in her eyes while holding her hands up at her mouth.

A light began to flicker within the maelstrom, like the soft glow of a burning ember from a great fire. It flickered once…twice…thrice…before it blasted the curse apart in a tremendous ball of fire. The fire tore the curse apart in a beam of its own which roared high into the sky, causing the clouds to disperse and the sky to brighten if only for a moment.

The flames dispersed as falling embers, like that of a gentle snowfall, filled the area around the large crater that had been created in the ground. It was a perfect circle and steam radiated out from within. From their positions, the mages could see that the inside of the crater had been turned to glass which still glowed dully and hissed from the heat that had created it.

And kneeling on one knee in the center…was E.N.D.

"So Mard Geer was right," The demon king said as he walked up to the edge of crater, "you were powerful enough to survive."

He cocked his head slightly, an intrigued smile on his lips.

"And it appears your true form has returned as well."

Slowly rising from his crouch, the mages quickly saw what Mard Geer was observing about E.N.D.

His musculature seemed to have increased but not to the point where it was over the top. His hair was still salmon colored but was a slightly darker shade than it had been earlier with the blackened tips of his hair being more pronounced. His eyes were open this time and were still outlined in black, along with his eyebrows, but instead of the whites being black in color, the eyes simply glowed a fierce and penetrating crimson.

His skin was still its dark shade of red and still maintained its scale like pattern, but his horns had elongated, now reaching out past his temples by a few extra inches.

The armor now lacked it's brushed, black coloring and now sported an obsidian sheen to it. The armor was still on hands, forearms, collar bone, clavicle, shoulders, neck and spine, but was sleeker; more streamlined to the muscle underneath. But along with the existing armor, new additions had appeared on his ribs, forming a menacing cage like design around his chest. The jet black slacks which adorned his legs were baggier and had armored tasset's attached to left and right side of his heavy belt and were woven to the sides of his thighs. Armor similar to that which covered his arms also adorned his legs which now covered his knees, shins and upper half of his boots.

His heart still burned through his skin like a raging volcano.

The "E.N.D" tattoo and Tartarus emblem still remained in place on his shoulders but now overlaid the armor like a hologram.

The armor and maw which had covered his jaw and mouth were gone now. The face that everyone recognized had returned but his mouth was set in a firm line but the tips of his sharpened canines poked out from underneath his lips.

Two simple, bar like tattoo's lined his cheek bones and ran down the sides of cheeks in a reverse "L" shaped design, stopping at the edge of his jaw. His wings which were flared and stretched out, were still dragon like in form but were now colored a shade darker than the night itself. The wings lowered and then slowly moved to wrap around E.N.D's shoulders and cover his front and sides, similar in manner of that to a cape.

E.N.D briefly looked over his new appearance by flicking his eyes down and then back up to Mard Geer. The two starred each other down for what seemed to be an eternity. Mard Geer's smile had diminished with each passing minute and his eyes had narrowed in turn.

And then the corner of E.N.D's mouth quirked into a smile…just as his maw and armored jaw returned to form around his face in a series of rapidly forming pixels.

"**Time to end this petty fight of ours Mard Geer; once and for all."** E.N.D growled and dashed forward, charging Mard Geer as his wings unwrapped.

"NO!" Mard Geer cried out in shock.

Memento Mori was meant to reawaken his Master. He had expected his true form to return, but not for E.N.D to maintain his defiance. Without time to return to his true form, Mard Geer casted forth a series of vines in an attempt to hold off E.N.D.

E.N.D made no attempt to avoid the attack, instead taking it head on. The vines ripped into him and much to Mard Geer's surprise, E.N.D burst apart in a series of embers. The embers seemingly had a mind of their own as they rapidly circled behind Mard Geer and reformed E.N.D's right arm with equal speed.

It had happened in the blink of an eye-too quick for Mard Geer to respond-and just as he realized what was happening, the arm created a long double edged blade like the one that had been created earlier. With a swift but powerful thrust, the blade plunged into Mard Geer's back and exploded forth from out his chest in a geyser of blood.

XXXX

As if the violent contact had bridged a mental link between the demons, E.N.D found himself in an unfamiliar environment as he saw a menagerie of images pass his eyes. The destruction of the magic council, the killing of the former magic council members and the plans for FACE.

FACE…

Gasping in shock, E.N.D felt as if he had been sucker punched as the memory came to bare.

"**I-I remember…"** E.N.D said, his breathe hoarse in surprise, **"I remember FACE."**

"Yeah!" Natsu chimed in joy that his other half had finally remembered something but his tone quickly became grim, "It's really bad news! If it activates, it will destroy all of the magic in Fiore!"

E.N.D paused as he processed this newest development. What in the hell were these demons thinking, using such a weapon?!

Another series of images flashed before E.N.D…but they appeared as if streaming in real time; which E.N.D quickly realized they were. A timer was seen, the numbers falling rapidly, through the eyes of a dying demon.

"_Kyouka…"_ Mard Geer said, his voice echoing weekly over the shared mindscape.

"_Fear not…"_ the new, female demon said, _"Magic will disappear from this world."_

"Oh no!" Natsu said in panic, "FACE is going to activate!"

The timer continued to dwindle down rapidly; 00:60.

"**Then let's stop it!" **E.N.D growled and closed his eyes in concentration. He channeled his power and used his curse magic to quickly reach out into the mindscape, searching for any memory on FACE and how it worked.

00:50

_Why do you persist in defending the humans!?_ The Other questioned, _There is not enough time to stop the weapon from firing; leave them to their fate!_

E.N.D furrowed his brow, continuing his search at an unhuman pace.

00:40

_Accept the facts boy!_ The Other raged, _You are out of time; magic will be purged from this wretched world and just like those humans, you are powerless to stop it from happening!_

"_**No. I'm. Not."**_ E.N.D said before letting out a cry of triumph!

At last he had found it; a memory detailing how face operated!

00:30

E.N.D's eyes snapped open and he quickly swiped his hand before him; a yellow hologram appearing before him and changing from light to a crystal like material. It was the controls for FACE; he now had direct access to the weapon via the mental link.

00:25

"Time's almost up; hurry!" Natsu panicked.

E.N.D's eyes rapidly scanned the controls. There wasn't enough time to launch a full shut down, however, he could stop FACE from activating if he disabled the Fire Control system.

00:15

E.N.D's hands were a blur as they raced over the holograms, trying every manner of code or combination that he had dredged up from Mard Geer's memories on how to stop FACE.

00:10

None of the codes were working; the weapon was too close to firing to be completely shut down!

00:05

"NO!" Natsu cried out.

_Yes_, the other hissed in sadistic glee.

00:04

For E.N.D, time seemed to crawl to snail's pace as he watched the numbers on the counter slowly change. There was no way to stop FACE in the conventional way…there just wasn't enough time. But just as quickly, _a very unconventional_ though burned its way into his mind.

00:03

He formed his hand into a fist, focusing all of his strength into the appendage.

00:02

He snapped his hand back and plunged it forward with a mighty cry-

00:01

-and E.N.D's hand smashed through the fire control system, splintering it into hundreds of pieces just as the counter reached 00:00 and was followed by FACE: ON.

E.N.D came to a stop and all was quiet. He held his breathe, not daring to move or make a noise.

A minute passed by…then another…and another.

"Uhm…did it work?" Natsu finally spoke up, his voice hesitant.

E.N.D slowly righted himself and looked around the mindscape. Using Mard Geer's eyes, E.N.D got a peak into the outside world. Everything was the way he left it.

Mard Geer was still impaled on his arm blade.

The mages were still standing.

Nothing had happened.

A new hologram appeared before E.N.D and he let out an explosive sigh of relief.

FACE: ON…WANING: FIRE CONTROL HAS BEEN DISABLED, FACE HAS NOW ENTERED STANDBY STATUS

"…Y-you did it." Natsu said in disbelief, but E.N.D could sense the grin forming on the child's face, "Y-you did it…YOU DID IT!"

The other hissed and roared in fury but E.N.D paid him no mind; something that was getting easier to do.

"**Yeah…I did it. FACE is still active but unless it can be fired another way…I don't imagine it will be a problem any time soon."**

Natsu laughed in glee and E.N.D rolled his eyes in a good natured manner.

"**C'mon…let's head back."**

XXXX

With the braking of FACE's fire control, the mental link instantly broke from the two demon lords.

The whole event had lasted more than a few seconds on the outside world…but it had dragged on in the mental realm.

Regardless of the fact, FACE had been stopped. It was still active yes, but it would be unable to fire for the time being.

The plan concocted by the fearsome Demons of Tartarus had been foiled; by their own master no less.

Stunned by the sudden turn of events-both his impalement and the stopping FACE- Mard Geer felt his body begin to shake as he looked at the blade sticking out of his chest. The arm began to lift Mard Geer off his feet as the demon king coughed up a long stream of blood. The embers continued to reform E.N.D's body until he was once again whole. The demon silently regard Mard Geer, ignoring the blood the slid down his arm blade and dripped off his knuckles.

Mard Geer coughed violently and slowly looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide and confused.

"M-Master..." Mard Geer whispered, "W-Why?"

E.N.D narrowed his eyes and moved closer to his fellow demon.

"**I'm not you're master." **E.N.D growled, **"And I never will be. Your plan failed Mard Geer…and now you will never harm anyone ever again."**

And with those words E.N.D twisted his arm and ripped the blade free from Mard Geer, letting him fall to his knees before E.N.D placed his boot on his back and kicked him down to the ground. Mard Geer's body twitched once and then twice before he stilled, head on its side and eyes still wide. E.N.D exhaled deeply and closed his eyes, heating his arm so that the blood on it evaporated as the blade retracted back into the limb.

"**Good riddance you son of a bitch."** E.N.D said as he opened his eyes and let his wings form back around him like a cape.

He silently regarded demon as the breeze rustled his hair and wings.

"_I…I wish you didn't have to do that."_ He heard Natsu, _"I don't like the idea of killing someone."_

_**It is what it is, **_E.N.D thought, _**he needed to die, and there is no other way of looking at it. If he didn't, FACE would have activated and a whole new kind of hell would have befallen us.**_

"_Yeah but…"_ Natsu protested but E.N.D shook his head.

_**Let it go,**_ he said, _**he's dead now and the mages are safe…your friends are safe.**_

"…_They're _your_ friends too."_ Natsu said after a pause, _"They're_ our _friends. We saved them together."_

_**If only I could remember them.**_ E.N.D thought before looking to the mages, who watched him wide and cautious eyes.

The blond girl, Lucy, was shaking slightly, eyes brimming with tears and hand clutching her chest. But most of all, it was her expression that bothered him the most. It was a mixture of fear, shock and sorrow. And in the deep recesses of his burning heart, it pained E.N.D to see that expression on her pretty face.

But for what reason, he did not know.

_You're getting soft, thinking like that,_ the Other hissed, _you should've let them die. You're better off without them…_we're _better off without them._

_**Piss off.**_ E.N.D shot back with a mental reply, walking back to the mages.

He stopped when he got close to them, observing the assembled humans in front of him. They were battered, bruised, bloodied but otherwise were okay.

"**You guys alright?" **E.N.D asked, breaking the silence.

"…Yeah." Gray answered hesitantly, "We're…we're fine. Thanks to you."

E.N.D nodded and lowered his eyes.

"**Mard Geer was in the process of activating a weapon called FACE right as I got to him."** E.N.D said, shocking the mages.

"Oh no!" Levy said as her hands flew to cover her mouth.

"Damn it, the others must've been too late!" Cana said, running her hands through her hair in agitation.

"Mommy…Daddy," Asuka Connell said as she looked up to her parents, clutching Alzack's leg, "I'm scared."

"…Wait…what do you mean by "in the process?"" Juiva asked, cocking her head slightly.

"**I was able to stop FACE from firing by digging into Mard Geer's head."** E.N.D said as he made eye contact with Gray, shocking the mages into a stunned silence.

"You…you what!?" Gray said in disbelief.

"**I stopped FACE from firing, just as I said. I was unable to stop it from activating, but I destroyed the fire control system and in turn put it into standby status. It can still be fired but unless there is another way of doing so, I don't see that happening any time soon. You have time to figure out how to completely disable it. You guys really dodged the bullet on this one; consider yourselves lucky."**

The stunned silence lasted for only a heartbeat before the mages let out a series of overjoyed cries and relieved sighs. Many of the mages present hugged one another with the exception of Alzack, Bisca and Asuka. The gunslinger pulled his wife into a passionate kiss, before kissing Asuka on her forehead multiple times and then finally wrapping his arms around his wife and daughter in an equally passionate hug.

Sting and Rogue fist bumped with their good hands and let relieved smiles form on their faces.

With tears streaming from her eyes, Levy grabbed Gajeel by his cheeks and pulled him down into a kiss…a kiss which the iron dragon slayer returned with equal fervor. Neither one cared if anyone saw them.

Juvia threw her arms around Gray and the ice mage winced in pain. He did return her embrace however and slowly pulled back just enough to kiss her on her lips. E.N.D swore the water mage turned every imaginable shade of red and was certain she would have fainted had it not been for Gray's steadying hand.

Gray fully pulled back but kept one arm wrapped around Juvia's shoulder, holding her close-not that she minded-as he faced E.N.D.

"Thank you," Gray said, "Just…thank you."

"…**Don't mention it."** E.N.D replied with a shrug of his shoulders, **"My ass was on the line too you know."**

Gray chuckled.

"So how much time was left?" Gray asked and E.N.D averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so.

"**You're better off not knowing." **E.N.D said making both Gray and Juiva blanch in fear.

"That bad eh?" Gray said nervously.

"**Aye."** E.N.D replied and returned his gaze to the mages.

He could sense the relief and joy emanating from them…these familiar humans.

_Familiar_; there was that word again. It tugged at the threads of his memory but at the same time, it was something that seemed far out of reach.

E.N.D sighed and shook his head.

_**One problem at a time. **_He thought to himself.

Letting his eyes drift away from the mages, he slowly let them drift around in search of Lucy.

Soon enough, brown met crimson and the two held each other's gazes. Neither one spoke but E.N.D easily sensed the new tension in the air; it was different from the last time they had gotten close. E.N.D's gaze flickered to the still bleeding wound in Lucy's shoulder and the edges of his maw turned down in what was tad amount to a deep frown.

Carefully walking over to Lucy, E.N.D looked down upon the celestial sprit mage, noting the difference in their height. He then slowly raised his arm from beneath his wing with equal care, revealing the tips of his index and middle fingers to be a glowing red.

Lucy's eyes snapped to the glowing appendages in fear. He could sense her apprehension. After all, he had just run the exact same hand through Mard Geer minutes earlier. She had seen the damage he could inflict.

"**Don't be afraid."** E.N.D said, **"Look at me…please."**

Lucy slowly complied and saw that E.N.D's maw had faded away for the time being. The glow of his eyes had dimmed and his mouth was set in a gentle smile…well, the best that he could manage. It was Natsu's face…the face she could always count on to brighten her day.

"**I'm not going to hurt you."** E.N.D spoke, his voice a clearer blend between Natsu's and the demon that possessed his body. It was gentle, however, something that seemed out of place and character for one capable of such destruction.

With those words, E.N.D pressed his fingers to the wound in her shoulder and Lucy gasped, not in pain but surprise. His fingers weren't scorching hot as she had thought warm…like a heated compress. Slight wisps of steam radiated off the wound and when E.N.D pulled his fingers back, Lucy saw that the wound was sealed shut…with no evidence that it had ever been there. There was no scarring or burn mark; the torn flesh had been healed completely.

"Natsu." Lucy whispered as she looked to E.N.D, who had lowered his eyes as he returned his hand to his side.

Slowly, Lucy reached her hand up and cupped E.N.D's cheek, startling the rouge demon. He looked to the human with those wide eyes of his and Lucy realized how strange such a gentle gesture must feel to him…how strange _her_ touch felt.

How strange contact with a human in general must have felt.

"_He really has forgotten me."_ Lucy thought in dismay as tears silently fell down her cheeks. Lucy bit her lip as she tried to stem the flow of her tears but it was of no use.

"Natsu," Lucy croaked, "why did it have to be you…why did you have to change?"

E.N.D kept his eyes lowered, unwilling to look at Lucy. Once again, an unknown feeling made him shy away from the sight of seeing her in pain. He wanted to comfort her…to lift her spirits…but he didn't know how or why.

"_I hate it when she's sad,"_ He heard Natsu say glumly, _"I don't like it when she's sad. I like it most when she smiles…when she's not sad…when she's not in pain."_

"Why'd you have to change?" Lucy repeated, her voice breaking slightly, "You keep turning into something else before our eyes and there's nothing I can do to help you."

E.N.D locked eyes with her tear stained ones and couldn't utter a response. He didn't know what to say…how could he know what to say?

"I…I just want you back," Lucy sobbed, her pain finally spilling forth with her tears, "I just want you back Natsu."

It quickly became apparent to all those present, excluding E.N.D however, that there was an even more daunting challenge presenting itself; how to turn Natsu back to normal.

For the second time that day, E.N.D's mouth began open as if he were about to say something important to Lucy. He wanted to say her name…to say, "Lucy." He felt that if he did so, he would find a way to comfort her; this familiar girl before him, who filled the memories in the very back of his mind.

But it wasn't meant to be.

For once again, E.N.D was stopped in his musings as a feeling akin to liquid mercury running down his spine suddenly rocked his senses; a warning he had no doubt.

E.N.D snapped his head up in the direction the sensation was pointing him to and saw just in time a shape tumbling out of a cluster of clouds. His enhanced vision instantly discerned the object and his maw quickly reappeared around his mouth.

He then uttered one single word, **"Dragon."**

"What?" Lucy said only for E.N.D to step away from her and flare his wings out.

"**Brace for impact."** E.N.D said, right as the sound of what appeared to be a pained cry reached the ears of the mages before the ground shook beneath their feet.

About a hundred yards to the right of the group, a large plume of dust was rising into the air. It was obvious that something had crash landed there and that something was alive; given the pained groans and explicatives that were leaving its mouth. The dust quickly settled and revealed a dragon laying on its side, covered in a multitude of bleeding cuts and gashes.

A red dragon…a familiar dragon.

"Igneel!" Lucy gasped in horror.

"_Dad!"_ Natsu cried out, _"No!"_

_**Dad!? **_E.N.D thought in confusion and surprise_._

Igneel the fire king slowly pushed himself up onto his legs, his claws digging into the ruble and earth. He winced sharply when he tried to move his wings and found that his left wing had been broken in his fight with Acnologia.

"Damn it…" Igneel said through gritted teeth, "that bastard got me good on his last run."

He winced again, his stance faltering just for a second, before he became aware of the mages near him. Craning his neck as he turned around, the fire dragon was relieved to see that they were unharmed for the most part.

When he felt the energies of FACE begin to amass, he had feared the worse but just as soon as the magic had built itself up…it had paused, seemingly, and nothing happened after that. It didn't take a genius to know that something must have stopped it from activating. But, so distracted was he in his panic over face, he had failed to notice Acnologia moving in for the kill.

He had stopped The Black Dragon at the last second but the subsequent onslaught had left him heavily wounded while also costing him his left wing…which had resulted in his subsequent freefall. He had no doubt that the bastard was circling overhead, waiting to see if he was dead or not.

"Like a damn buzzard." Igneel growled as he looked from the sky to the mages.

It was then that he felt a presence he had not felt in ages. A familiar aura that only a certain foe had generated.

"_It can't be,"_ Igneel thought in disbelief, _"after all this time."_

His wide eyes quickly found the source of the presence; a demon with jet black wings in the shape of a cape and glowing red eyes.

"E.N.D." Igneel whispered.

_Igneel the Fire King_, the Other hissed in E.N.D's mind, _that damn lizard is still alive after all this time. It was bad enough that I had to deal with him destroying my body in our last encounter but now I have to put up with him again._

"_Sucks to be you." _Natsu snickered, earning a warning growl from the other.

_**Igneel,**_E.N.D thought, the name causing his head to ache,

"**Igneel…"** He muttered as he absentmindedly rubbed his temple with his one hand.

It was then that said Dragon began to notice certain features about E.N.D. His height, the way his body was shaped…his pink hair color…his scent…his son's scent.

"_No,"_ Igneel thought in horror, _"no, please, no! Don't let it be him; don't let it be my son!"_

But the more he looked at E.N.D, the more he saw of Natsu in the demon. There was no denying it; E.N.D had possessed Natsu.

His beloved son had become his greatest enemy's host.

The thought made Igneel's blood simmer as his eyes glowed a fierce yellow in his anger. He promptly slammed his front claw down, causing it to break and shake violently.

Many of the mages lost their footing, but E.N.D held his ground and the fire dragon roared in sorrow and anger.

"E.N.D!" Igneel raged, "DAMN YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO NATSU?!"

E.N.D continued to stay put as the dragon lumbered forward.

"RELEASE HIM THIS INSTAT! RELASE HIM OR I WILL RIP YOU FROM HIM!"

But as the dragon continued forward, the wounds on his legs began to bleed even further, causing Igneel to falter in his steps before collapsing just a few feet from E.N.D. Still, he continued to struggle, a fierce glare in his eyes.

But there was something else in those eyes, E.N.D noted in surprise.

_**Tears,**_ E.N.D thought, _**he's…he's crying.**_

Indeed, tears silently fell from the dragon's eyes as he panted in pain, but they seemed to go unnoticed by the dragon.

"Give him back," Igneel hissed, "give me back my son."

A memory flashed before E.N.D's eyes in that moment, causing him to wince sharply.

It was a memory of a large wing covering him from a heavy rain as he curled up next to the comfortable warmth the dragon generated.

"**I remember…"** E.N.D muttered as if a daze as the memories slowly came out from hiding.

He remembered the dragon before him teaching him how to read and write, about the world he lived in and faraway places.

About strength and the power of fire.

Of courage and friendship.

He remembered feeling safe with the dragon; knowing that no matter what, Igneel would always protect him.

But most of all, he remembered the one name he had always called the dragon by; the dragon who had taken him in and raised him as if he were his own flesh and blood.

Slowly E.N.D stepped towards the dragon who hissed in turn. But E.N.D wasn't deterred as he came within arm's length of the dragon. He then extended his right hand from beneath his wings and let it rest against the fiery warm skin of the dragon. Igneel twitched at the contact and E.N.D cocked his head slightly, his brow furrowing while his eyes glowed softly.

"**Dad?"** E.N.D said, startling Igneel.

Wide eyed the dragon could only gape as the demon closed his eyes and lowered his head in what appeared to be shame.

"**I forgot about you,"** he said, his tone laced with pain, **"I can't believe I forgot about you."**

Despite the warping of E.N.D's words, Igneel heard a familiar voice none the less.

"Natsu?" Ingeel said, making the demon look to him with eyes filled with heart ache.

"Are you…are you still in there?"

The corners of E.N.D's maw turned up slightly in what appeared to be a sad smile.

The ground rumbled once more and the crashing of rock and debris broke the moment between father and son.

For having landed a short distance away from the mages, dragon and rouge demon, was The Black Dragon himself; Acnologia.

"Well, well, well," Acnologia said in sinister amusement, "what do we have here?"

He looked to the mages and then to Igneel.

"A bunch of humans who are too stubborn to die and an equally stubborn dragon," Acnologia sneered, "how pathetic."

"Acnologia." Natsu whispered, his tone guarded but filled with apprehension.

_And so another pain in the ass decides to show himself as well,_ the Other said.

_**Who is he? **_E.N.D mentally asked as he observed the blue and black dragon before him.

"_He's bad news…really bad news,"_ Natsu said as he swallowed hard, _"he tried to kill us all seven years ago and now he's back."_

E.N.D noticed how tense Natsu sounded but did not voice his observation.

"_And he's tough too,"_ Natsu said, _"really tough."_

"**So am I."** E.N.D hissed.

Acnologia heard the faint whisper of the demons voice and turned his attention to E.N.D who noticed for the first time.

"Well, isn't this a surprise." The dragon said, his mouth turning up in sadistic grin, "It appears I didn't have to wake you up after all E.N.D when apparently you've come to me."

"**You know who I am?" **E.N.D questioned, slightly surprised.

"How could I not." Acnologia said, "I know all about the demons of Tartarus and their twisted devotion to Zeref. Even you, "Master E.N.D"."

E.N.D narrowed his eyes at the dragons mocking tone.

"**I no longer nor ever had any allegiance to those fools."** E.N.D growled, but Acnologia simply laughed.

"Allegiance or not, you are the strongest out of all of Zeref's demons. And now that you're here, you've made it easier for me to complete my endgame."

"**What are you talking about?"** E.N.D questioned, placing his hands on his hips.

"Once I defeat you, which I have no doubt I will, I shall absorb your power and combine it with mine. Once that is done, I will seek out Zeref himself and rip him to pieces; taking all of his power as well."

"**What in the world could you possibly gain from doing that?"** E.N.D asked.

"Power," the dragon said with a menacing grin, "absolute power-all the power I could ever want and more. With two of the greatest threats to this world purged from existence, my power-no, my rule-will go unchecked! No one will stand against me and I will finally be able to force humanity back to the groveling and sniveling worms that they are!"

Acnologia looked to the Fairy Tail mages, a sneer marring his features.

"Starting with those who have been a thorn in my side for far too long."

E.N.D let out a low, angered hiss as he clenched his hands until the knuckles and the bones of his forearms began to crack and pop.

"**That's not going to happen."** E.N.D said, his voice low.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Acnologia said, turning back to the demon, "You can't possibly think-"

The dragon of destruction was promptly cut off when E.N.D appeared before him and delivered a perfect, four knuckle strike to his snout, making him cry out and stumble back from the impact of the hit.

"**Simple,"** E.N.D said, his wings keeping him in the air, **"I'm going to kick your ass."**

E.N.D flapped his wings and propelled himself forward with blinding speed before slowing himself down just enough to spin mid-air and deliver a perfect roundhouse kick to the side of Acnologia's head. The dragon was lifted off his claws and was sent careening into the ground.

Hovering, E.N.D looked to the mages and his father.

"**Look after Igneel,"** he called out, **"I'll handle him."**

"Natsu." Lucy whispered in concern as she watched the demon fly off after Acnologia.

Igneel grunted, catching her attention. She turned to the downed dragon and the two locked eyes for the first time.

"It's nice to finally meet you Lucy Heartfilia," Igneel said, before wincing, "but I wish things were under better circumstances."

"…Same to you Igneel." Lucy said in awe before looking over the dragon's shoulder to see E.N.D reengage Acnologia.

"He's still in there." Igneel said, making Lucy look at him.

"What?" Lucy said.

"My son," Igneel said as he rested his head down with a tired sigh, "He's in there somewhere, I can sense him."

Lucy lowered her head, biting her lip.

"You care deeply for my son don't you?" Igneel asked, earning a nod from Lucy.

"With all my heart." She whispered.

"…He'll return," Igneel said as he raised his claw to gently caress Lucy's cheek, "one way or another; Natsu will return to us."

XXXX

Acnologia slid with his claws braced against the ground as he took the brunt of another spin kick from E.N.D. Although he appeared unaffected by the attacks, the dragon was loathe to admit that the attacks carried a good amount of weight to them.

It was something he found rather unacceptable to be honest.

No one was top dog but him and he refused to let a single demon get the best of him.

"You're going to have to do better than that E.N.D!" Acnologia roared as he fired his Dragon's Roar at the demon.

E.N.D evaded the magic blast as it cut its way through the air before diving down to the ground, wings swept against his body. He flared his wings at the last possible second as he reached the ground and soared up at the dragon, coming in fast and low.

He delivered a jarring uppercut that sent Acnologia's mind reeling. Not finished with his attack, E.N.D formed a lance of fire in his still outstretched hand and tossed it Acnologia only for the dragon to block the attack with his wing. The lance erupted in a burst of flame but seemed to have little affect against Acnologia. The dragon lowered his wing, glaring at E.N.D and the demon knew he was about to be in for some serious hurt.

The dragon flared his wings and sprung up from the ground, charging E.N.D with equal the speed he had been using.

"**Oh, damn it."** Was all E.N.D could say before he hit by Acnologia's outstretched claw.

E.N.D was snapped right to the ground, cratering the ground on impact but landing in a crouch. With ringing ears, Natsu began to rise but was knocked back down when Acnologia smashed his claw down upon him; pummeling him into the earth.

Again.

And again.

"How dare you strike me!" The black dragon raged, "How dare you strike me you insignificant little worm! Me; Acnologia the Black Dragon!"

The claw then wrapped around E.N.D, lifting him up as he let out a low groan as he was brought to the dragon's eye level.

"You don't deserve to even be acknowledged by me…to think that you have the audacity to challenge me is insulting."

The dragon squeezed E.N.D who began to push back against the dragon's grip, becoming aware of his predicament.

"Ah, a fighter to the end." Acnologia sneered, "You've incurred my ire E.N.D…it takes a lot to do that. The last time that happened, I thought I had obliterated those insufferable mages from existence. I won't make the same mistake again."

Acnologia grinned a wicked grin.

"I will give you a relatively painless death…relatively." The dragon said before he opened his mouth, put E.N.D on his teeth and snapped his jaw shut.

E.N.D's hands suddenly shot up and caught the attack, stopping Acnologia's bite and causing the jaw to tremble and he rose up to his feet. Acnologia growled in anger and E.N.D let out a similar growl.

"**No way in hell am I turning into your lunch!"** E.N.D hissed. There was no way he was going to be eaten and if he had to push back until the dragon's jaw broke, then so be it.

But Acnologia had other plans.

Without warning, E.N.D found himself flat on his chest, dangling from Acnologia's lower teeth, courtesy of the dragon's tongue-of all things-knocking his legs out from under him. With his mouth free, Acnoloiga promptly snapped his mouth closed…and bisected E.N.D across the middle.

As his legs and torso fell, E.N.D was then spat out by the dragon just as his lava like blood began to spurt freely from his two severed halves. Barely conscious, he could just make out the sound of horrified screaming coming from Igneel and the Fairy Tail mages; Lucy's being the most prominent.

With a meaty smack, E.N.D hit the ground with his eyes rolled up into his head. A pool of steaming lava rapidly pooled under bisected body while Acnologia cackled in triumph. He then loomed over E.N.D, looking down on him.

"And now to make sure you stay dead." Acnologia said as he opened his mouth, charging his dragon's roar to maximum power, placing his claw down over E.N.D to hold him in place. But as soon he made contact with E.N.D he felt the sensation-a very powerful sensation-of curse magic flicker across his senses.

E.N.D's head snapped up so that the two made eye contact; E.N.D's glowing furiously as equally glowing cracks formed and spread out from the corners of his eyes. His eyes flashed and a concentrated beam of energy was fired from the two organs with a high pitched cry. The laser hit Acnologia directly in his left eye, interrupting his attack and making him cry out in agony; his claw releasing E.N.D and snapping up to clutch at his eye.

Freed from his oppressor, E.N.D pushed himself on his hands, eyes glowing once more as he fired off a second blast from his optical laser.

"_I'M A' FIRIN' MAH LAZER!"_ Natsu excitedly called out in his mind while the Other let out both a pained and annoyed groan.

_Oh spare me_, he grumbled.

Said laser struck Acnologia in the chest and knocked him onto his back, flailing about while letting off obscenity after obscenity. The black ichor that had reattached E.N.D's arm earlier sprung forth from his gaping wound and quickly sought out his lower half. Grabbing his lower torso and legs, the two halves were quickly reattached with a hiss of steam as E.N.D pushed himself up and onto his feet.

He winced, clutching his stomach.

"**That was too close,"** he said as he watched Acnologia continue to curse and clutch his now bleeding eye, **"too damn close."**

_As strong as that attack was it seems to have had little effect on the bastard,_ the Other said, _we'll have to try something else…something that will put us on equal footing._

_**I'm well aware of that,**_ E.N.D thought, _**question is what and how? Oh, and for the record; there is no "we." There's just me and the kid.**_

The Other growled but held his tongue.

"Look, he's getting up!" Natsu said, catching E.N.D's attention.

Sure enough, Acnologia was pushing himself up with his one front leg and two hind legs. He pulled the other front leg away from his bleeding eye, noting the glistening and sticky liquid that coated his palm and leaked from his still smoking eye socket; the eye completely vaporized.

Acnologia snarled before, teeth clenched together before tossing his head back and letting out a roar of anger so powerful that both the air and ground seemed to shake from the dragon's fury.

"I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU E.N.D!" Acnologia roared, "I'LL SPILL YOUR GUTS ALL ACORSS THE LAND AND BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD! THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT, YOU HERE ME!? NOTHING!"

"**Well he's certainly pissed." **E.N.D said as he cracked his neck.

"_How are we going to stop him now!?"_ Natsu asked, _"There's no way we'll be able to take him on now!"_

Natsu was right. In his rage, it was most certain that Acnologia would unleash all his power to kill him; and he doubted he would be able to fully recover from the dragon's revenge fueled counterattacks.

_The boy is right,_ the Other said, as things are, _we will not last long. Our only hope would be to bring another dragon into the conflict, for only another dragon can kill a dragon…but as far as I can see, the only ones on hand are Acnologia and Igneel. As much as it pains me to admit it, his assistance is needed; but I doubt he would last long given his current condition._

E.N.D was quiet as he watched Acnologia begin to turn and face him, albeit slowly.

Another dragon, E.N.D mused.

As his mind raced for alternatives to his current problems, E.N.D remembered something that had gone unnoticed in his previous attacks. In order to charge and fire optical lasers, E.N.D was forced to tap deep into his power; into power that had been buried by his transformation and newfound power.

As he had gathered that power, he thought he sensed a power that was separate from the power of Igneel that still resided within him.

It almost felt like…another dragon.

_**Natsu,**_ E.N.D asked, _**when I was charging my power, I thought I felt the presence of another dragon in some of that power. Can you explain that?**_

"_Other dragon?"_ Natsu replied, _"The only dragon's power that I have was given to me by Igneel and…"_ But his tone quickly died down, almost as if he was realizing or remembering something.

"_Wait…Wait a minute,"_ Natsu said his tone picking back up in strength, _"I remember! Back during the Grand Magic Games I ate some of Atlas Flame's fire! I ate the fire of a dragon! I just didn't think any of that fire was left; I thought I had used it up."_

_**Atlas Flame**__, _E.N.D thought_**, are you sure of that?**_

"_Yeah! He and Igneel are best friends so that makes him my uncle!" _Natsu said with pride.

"**Then that's good enough for our needs."** E.N.D said as he closed his hands into fists and pressed them against each other; closing his eyes in concentration.

"_But Atlas Flame is dead,"_ Natsu said, _"How can he help us? Last time I checked it's, like, impossible to bring back the dead."_

E.N.D focused his power and called forth a curse of great power from the recesses of his mind. He then slowly raised arms before him, hands open and palms out flat. Slowly, a series of glyphs and sigils appeared around him, glowing dark shades of red, purple, green and blue. An intricate circle quickly formed beneath his feet as it emitted a slowly brightening glow.

"**Oh believe me kid,"** E.N.D mumbled as his eyes snapped open, glowing a brilliant red, **"there are plenty of ways to **_**wake**_** the dead. For even the tiniest trace of magic can retain the memories and power of its wielder."**

The circle continued to glow in intensity as did the glyphs and sigils. A cold breeze suddenly manifested with a sound akin to the whispering of voices; many voices, all that one time.

"**Curse Magic,"** E.N.D said, **"Necromancy." **

The breeze turned into a powerful wind, the voices continuing their unending calls and chants.

"**I call you forth from the netherworld to do my bidding on the field of battle. I call forth strength and power, your body and soul; I call you back to the world of the living."**

The glow of the circle and symbols had become almost blinding. The ground had begun to tremble slightly as the wind continued its ghostly calls.

"**Return from whence you came; **_**Atlas Flame!**_**"**

And for a moment, everything stilled. And then, in flash of light and roar of fire, the ground beneath E.N.D shattered to pieces as a brilliant geyser of flame erupted from the earth. But E.N.D didn't mind as he rose steadily from his spot, he could take the heat.

The fire billowed and swirled but soon enough, it began to take on an animalistic shape; the fire having taken a life of its own. First came the body, then the front legs followed by the wings. Then came the tail and wings which were flared as if ready to fly one more. And then finally, amongst the flames at constituted as a head with burning horns of flame, a face appeared. The eyes were narrowed and the grin was jagged but wide.

Once again, the Flame Dragon-Atlas Flame-had returned to the world of the living as he let out bellowing roar.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Atlas said, as he took in his environment, "Where am I and what in the nine hells is going on here!?"

The dragon felt something land atop his head and he craned his neck to get a better look. He soon saw E.N.D looking down upon him as the demon offered him a small wave.

"Who are you?" Atlas hissed, "The last thing I remember is being sent off to paradise after I had that talk with Igneel's boy about E.N.D. And now I'm here, not dead and certainly not in the afterlife."

Atlas's eyes narrowed.

"Your aura is familiar…diluted by the darkness of a demon, but none the less…Natsu?" Atlas said in confusion.

"Natsu is that you?"

E.N.D shook his head.

"**No."** E.N.D said, **"Natsu is apparently the name of my host body. My name is **_**E.N.D.**_**"**

"E.N.D!" Atlas said in shock before his flames crackled and flickered in fury, "You damn demon; what have you done to him!?"

"**Calm down dragon, I mean you no harm,"** E.N.D said, flaring his own, more powerful aura, **"Natsu is tucked away somewhere inside of me, but he is a constant presence in my mind none the less. Concentrate your magic and I'm sure you'll make some form of contact with his magic."**

"I think I'll do just that." Atlas said skeptically.

He focused on the demons aura, who willingly toned it down to make Atlas's search easier. At first, Atlas found nothing and he began to suspect that E.N.D was bullshitting him when he sensed it. It was like the flickering flame of a small candle, but he sensed it none the less.

A very familiar magic; a very familiar soul.

"_Hi Uncle!"_ The soul called out jovially in child's voice.

But there was no mistaking it…the soul was Natsu's. E.N.D had been telling the truth.

"Why have you summoned me demon?" Atlas asked, eyes narrowed in skepticism.

"…**I require your help with a certain…**_**problem.**_**"** E.N.D said.

"What kind of problem?" Atlas asked and E.N.D simply pointed forward; right as a very angry voice called out.

"E.N.D!" Acnologia raged.

Atlas's head snapped to the source of the voice, a stunned look gracing his burning features. He blinked once, twice and then thrice, before his already present grin became even further wicked.

"Ah," Atlas said, "I see, so that's your "problem"."

"What is the meaning of this E.N.D!?" Acnologia barked, "Why is Atlas Flame here!? Explain yourself!"

"**Atlas Flame has been resurrected for the time being to help me kick your ass into oblivion."** E.N.D stated, causing Acnologia to let out a humorless laugh.

"Stop me, one of my own kind? I fail to see the humor in this." Acnologia sneered.

"You were never one of us Acnologia," Atlas Flame said, making Acnologia glare at the other dragon, "you were never a true dragon."

"What did you say?" Acnologia hissed, "How dare you question my right to bear the name of dragon!"

"The power given to you was a gift from those who swore to protect humanity," Atlas countered, "You were a human who gained too much from the blood of those who called you friend; a human who became too self-absorbed and arrogant in his never ending lust for power!"

"Humans a weak, simple creatures whose sole purpose is to serve us!" Acnologia snapped, "They don't deserve to live freely in a world that was rightfully ours to begin with!"

"No Acnologia, _they do_." Atlas said, "Our time has long since passed. The age of man began the day we chose sides in the Dragon Civil War. And I will not let the sacrifices of my brothers and sisters come to waste after all this time due to the power hungry, arrogant piece of shit that you have become!"

Acnologia growled deeply and squared his shoulders.

"And in order to achieve that, you are willing to be put under the thumb of a mere demon?" Acnologia hissed.

Atlas's eyes narrowed.

"It is true that E.N.D summoned me back from the grave, but I do this of my own volition this time."

Atlas took a stance similar to Acnologia's.

"I've waited three hundred years for this day to come Acnologia and I sure as hell am not going to turn down the opportunity to deliver the ass kicking you so rightfully deserve. It's time that the shadow of the Dragon Civil War be vanquished…prepare to experience the fires of hell."

The two dragons glared down upon each other.

"Then Atlas Flame…_let's bury the hatchet into each other_ and settle this once and for all." Acnoloiga sneered.

"Ladies first." Atlas quipped as E.N.D leapt off the dragon's head, taking to the air.

With two mighty roars, the dragons charged one another.

XXXX

Atlas Flame collided headfirst into Acnologia, pushing him back as he dug his hind legs into the ground while his front claws grappled with Atlas Flame's. The Black Dragon open his mouth and bit down onto the fire dragon, ignoring the searing heat that filled his mouth as Atlas roared in anger.

Atlas flame in turn used his right wing to smash into Acnologia's face, releasing the bite as the dragon used his Flame Dragon's Roar at point blank range. The jet of molten hot fire burned and seared Acnologia's armored skin and just as he was ready to retaliate, E.N.D came swooping in-flaring his wings out-and drop kicked Acnologia atop his head, snapping it to the ground.

Atlas Flame in turn smashed his claw down atop the fallen dragon and proceeded to violently drag Acnologia across the ground head first in a grinding motion. The ground suddenly disappeared in brilliant burst of light, sending Atlas back as Acnologia freed himself with his own dragon's roar. He then fired the attack again, striking Atlas in his side and tossing him aside.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Acnologia roared as he pounced onto the flame dragon, his claws ripping into the living flames. Atlas violently struggled beneath Acnologia as the black dragon moved his claws to grip his jaw and neck in a twisting manner; trying to break Atlas's neck.

"A little help would be appreciated!" Atlas said through clenched teeth in pain.

E.N.D came swooping in once again but Acnologia anticipated the attack and fired his dragon's roar at the demon. E.N.D dodged the attack, dropped to the ground and broke out into a mad dash. He then leapt into the air, spinning as he did so and delivered two rapid but punishing tornado kicks to Acnologia's ribs; knocking him off of Atlas Flame just enough for the dragon to elbow Acnologia off of him.

Atlas then inhaled deeply as the flames on his body began to glow brilliantly in color. He then released his super charged flame dragon's roar which summarily exploded on impact with the dark dragon. Stumbling back, half his body on fire, Acnologia was unprepared for Atlas's fire spin which barreled down on him from the previous attack.

The two dragon's collided and Acnologia was sent careening back, rolling end over end before coming to a stop.

"**Did you stop him?"** E.N.D asked as he hovered next to Atlas Flame, carefully watching the downed dragon.

"Stop him?" Atlas said, shaking his head, "No; more like knocked the wind out of him."

With a series of guttural growls and snarls, Acnologia pushed himself up and glared at the demon and dragon.

"I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU TWO!" Acnologia roared.

"Oh boy, he's pissed." Atlas said, letting out a low whistle.

"**Tell me about it, why do you think I summoned you?"** E.N.D said as he formed two blades from his arms.

Acnologia let out a low growl before looking slightly off in the direction of Igneel and the Fairy Tail mages, a gesture that went unnoticed. He let a small grin form on his mouth before he charged up a dragon's roar. When it seemed like he was about to fire on Atlas and E.N.D, he snapped his head to the left and fired in the opposite direction.

"What the hell!?" Atlas said in surprise, following the attack.

E.N.D quickly realized where the beam of energy was heading, however.

"**The others!"** E.N.D cried and immediately flew off after the attack. Racing parallel to the attack, wings swept close, as he frantically thought of a way to stop the attack. The distance was closing fast and as E.N.D drew closer, E.N.D saw a shocking sight; Igneel was moving to shield Lucy with his body-they had no time to escape the attack. Just like the other mages.

"_Dad!"_ Natsu cried out, _"Lucy, no!"_

There was no way he would reach them in time. E.N.D decided to take a drastic measure, not really knowing if it would kill him or not. He put in a burst of speed and sped ahead of the attack, back facing the mages and Igneel-right hand balled into a fist as he focused his curse magic into his hand. He intercepted Acnologia's dragons roar in a flash of light and a tremendous explosion that shook the ground beneath those below.

Igneel continued shield Lucy who had covered her face with her arms but the moment the explosion erupted, she looked past her limbs to see E.N.D spiraling out of the smoke and crashing down a few feet away.

"Natsu!" Lucy called out in a panic and ran over to the fallen demon despite the protests of Igneel.

She slid to hers knees, next to E.N.D as the demon let out a wheezing series of coughs.

"**Oh man," **E.N.D coughed, **"that was stupid on so many levels."**

His body was burned badly as smoke drifted off his charred skin. Lucy was relieved however to see that the damage was healing however, albeit slowly.

"You idiot," Lucy said in both frustration and relief, "what were you thinking!?"

"**Thinking?"** E.N.D said as he propped himself up, **"That's debatable."**

Lucy let out a sigh and shook her head.

"Don't scare me like that anymore…I nearly lost my mind when I saw you get bit in half back there."

"…**Sorry…"** E.N.D said as he lowered his eyes, **"…Lucy."**

The celestial spirit mage's head snapped up, eyes wide.

"What did you just say?" Lucy whispered in disbelief.

Before E.N.D could answer, Atlas Flame came crashing down to the earth as he was hurled over the two mages. A massive claw then swept down over Lucy and backhanded E.N.D away with a solid "thwack" as the demon let out a surprised cry, while another claw slugged Igneel in the face.

The claw that had hit E.N.D came back and before Lucy could scramble to her feet to run, she found herself in a vice like grip as she was brought face to face with the dragon that had haunted her nightmares since Fairy Tail had returned from Tenrou Island; Acnologia.

The dragon squeezed her even tighter, making her cry out in pain as a demented grin split his face.

"If you so much as scream for help, I'll squeeze you till your head pops off like a dandelion."

He then faced the other mages, who were frozen with fear.

"Same goes for the rest of you damn humans!" Acnologia snarled.

E.N.D, who had been buried in a pile of rubble from the hit, numbly dug himself out and fell to his hands and knees, looking up at the dragon who held Lucy hostage.

"_That animal!"_ Natsu snapped, _"No one touches Lucy like that and gets away with it!"_

For a child, E.N.D could feel the weight of the desperate anger coming from his words. It was this anger, the power of the emotion itself, which spurred forth a memory-just like before.

"_If you so much as lay a finger on Lucy, I'll crush you! You hear me!?"_

And then another one.

"_Natsu," Lucy said, her voice laced with sorrow as tears ran down her face, "Does magic only cause sadness, is that really true?"_

_He was quiet…but shook his head in response._

"_If magic is what made me cry," Lucy sobbed as she stepped forward into his awaiting arms, "there's got to be a way…it can make me stop crying to."_

"_At the very end, Éclair was smiling." he said as Lucy pulled back, her sobs continuing to wrack her body._

"…_She was." Lucy said._

"_Don't worry," he said, his voice gentle with a soft, comforting smile, "we're all in this together."_

_He then pulled Lucy into an equally comforting hug as the spirit mage continued to sob against her best friend._

E.N.D clutched his head, gasping sharply at the memory.

"**Lucy…"** E.N.D said through his strained voice.

"_C'mon Lucy, let's go on a job today!"_

_Lucy…_

"_Geez Lucy, why are you acting all weird again?_

_Lucy…_

"_Hi Lucy, sorry about the door again but me and Happy were really hungry and it wasn't locked so…"_

_Lucy…_

"_We'll always be friends Lucy; I promise."_

_Lucy…_

_Lucy…_

_**Lucy!**_

With a shuddering gasp, E.N.D's eyes began to widen as he clutched his head against the splitting pain.

He remembered now…he remembered her; how on earthland could he ever forget Lucy!?

Rising to his feet, hands balling at his sides while his breathing became deep and ragged in anger, E.N.D let out a deep, rumbling growl from deep within his chest; his glowing crimson eyes glaring up at Acnologia.

The dragon saw E.N.D rise and grinned wickedly as he held Lucy up for him to see as Acnologia increased his grip. Lucy let out a strangled scream of pain as she desperately gasped for air.

"Try anything E.N.D and I'll make sure she pops like a melon." The dragon sneered.

"…_**Let her go you ugly motherfucker."**_ E.N.D growled as the air around him began to waver from the heat he began to generate.

His left hand suddenly sprung open as a large, angular, diamond shaped shield formed on his arm. The arm was raised in an equally rapid manner and E.N.D squeezed his hand shut; launching the front half of the shield from his arm like the broad head of an arrow, a long chain trailing behind it.

The shield piece had traveled too fast for Acnologia to respond and within the fraction of a second, the metal weapon lodged itself in his claw; right between two of the knuckles and digging deep between the muscle, sinew and tendons of the claw.

Acnologia cried out in pain as E.N.D drew the chain taught and pulled the dragon forward with inhuman strength. With his muscles straining and veins popping from beneath his steaming skin, E.N.D snapped the dragon forward and tossed him over this shoulder; the chains connecting the two never breaking.

The action caused Acnologia to let go of Lucy as he was tossed and slammed onto his back. E.N.D launched himself into the air and caught Lucy before she could even hit the ground. Landing back on his feet with Lucy cradled in his right arm, E.N.D retracted the blade and chain as it returned back into his arm.

Lucy coughed and gasped as she took in desperate lungful's of air.

"**It's okay,"** E.N.D said gently, **"I got you don't worry."**

"N-Natsu?" Lucy said she coughed, eyes blinking open.

"**It's okay Lucy, you're safe now."** E.N.D said, just as Acnologia recovered and righted himself up.

"YOU!" The dragon roared, his wounded hand continuing to spasm, "BY THE TIME I'M THROUGH WITH YOU, YOU WILL SCREAM FOR DEATH TO CLAIM YOU!"

The dragon charged forward but E.N.D simply narrowed his eyes.

"**I don't think so."** He whispered as Acnologia suddenly found himself stopped in his tracks; by Igneel and Atlas Flame.

The two dragons had recovered from Acnologia's previous attacks just in time to see E.N.D immobilize the dark dragon. Waiting for the right moment, the two dragons independently blindsided their foe-eyes glowing fiercely. Igneel came in low, his right hand grabbing Acnologia by his neck and forcing his head to be bent back-his jaws snapping wildly- while his left claw dug into his lower back. His mouth then latched onto his right wing. Atlas Flame had attacked from above by pouncing onto Acnologia and attacking his left wing in a similar manner to Igneel while his claws tore at the dragon's armored skin.

Natsu used his wings to fly back to the mages and gently set Lucy down next to Gray and Juvia, who quickly tended to their friend.

"**I'll be right back."** E.N.D said, stepping a few paces forward before bending down into a runner's stance.

"**This will be over soon."**

Igneel and Atlas Flame's assault was nearing its bloody conclusion. The two dragons were merciless in their attacks as Acnologia's armor and skin was ripped and torn-the dark dragon powerless to properly retaliate as he howled in agony. Then, with his wings still in their mouths, Igneel and Atlas Flame pulled in opposite directions; ripping the wings from Acnologia's back as he screamed in pure agony. Blood arced into the air as the dragon began to stumble about in his pain induced delirium.

With Acnologia open for an attack, E.N.D sprinted low towards the dragon as he moved in for the kill.

Power sliding to a stop directly beneath the dragon, the soles of his boots grinding into the dirt, E.N.D outstretched his right arm as the forearm turned into a single, massive and jagged blade. He pivoted upwards on his heel and snapped his arm out, punching through the armor of Acnologia's chest and piercing his heart.

"**Go to hell where you belong Acnologia."** E.N.D said through clenched teeth as blood spilled down his arm blade while he forced the blade further in.

Acnologia's jaw dropped open in a soundless cry, his remaining eye widening in surprise and pain, while his body started twitching spastically. Blood leaked from the wound in his chest and from his open mouth, as E.N.D twisted the blade and ripped it from the dragon. Acnologia staggered on his legs for a second before he leaned to his side and collapsed; dead.

The Dark Dragon, Acnologia, had been defeated. After three hundred years, his reign of terror had come to an abrupt and violent end.

E.N.D let out a tired sigh and reformed his arm and hand, the blade merging back into the armor. His wings slowly closed around him reforming his cape as he looked up to Atlas Flame, who silently looked down on Acnologia's corpse.

"**Atlas Flame,"** E.N.D spoke up, catching the dragon's attention, **"I thank you for your help in this battle…I release your soul back to the netherworld."**

The dragon nodded with a small grin as his body began to fade away in series of particles of light.

"Anytime…Natsu." Atlas said.

And then he was gone; returned to the afterlife.

"Goodbye…brother." Igneel said as he closed his eyes and lowered his head in respect for his old friend. He sighed in a deep, sad manner and looked to E.N.D.

The two held each other's tired gazes for a tense series of moments before Igneel inclined his head in a nod. E.N.D returned the gesture.

"**You alright?"** E.N.D asked.

"I've been better…you?" Igneel replied.

"**Much better now that Mard Geer and Acnologia are dead." **E.N.D said, but sighed, **"But I'm tired…so tired."**

With those words, he spun on his heel and made his way back to the mages while Igneel limped behind him. E.N.D was silent as he finally returned to the others and vice versa for the mages. No one dared to speak. But then again, they didn't know what to say either. The mages were no strangers to violence but seeing what E.N.D had done to Acnologia had unnerved them slightly and made them wonder if Natsu was still in the demon somewhere…or if he was beyond all help now.

E.N.D looked to Lucy who was back on her feet and approached her. Before Lucy could so much as speak, E.N.D opened his wings and raised his arms…to take Lucy into a gentle hug. His left hand cupped the base of her skull while his right fell to the middle of her back, pulling her close to him. His wings then gently wrapped around the two as E.N.D sighed deeply, his maw disappearing from his face once again.

"**I forgot about you,"** E.N.D spoke, his eyes glowing softly but distant, **"Just like my dad…I can't believe I forgot about you."**

"What?" Lucy whispered.

"**But I remember you now…"** E.N.D said, **"And I don't intend to let you or the memories we share slip away from me again."**

E.N.D exhaled deeply, pulling Lucy just a little bit more.

"I'm sorry, Lucy." E.N.D said, making Lucy gasp.

His voice. It was no longer the blend between voices that it had been. It still possessed an echo to it…but _it was Natsu's voice _none the less.

Lucy felt tears begin to run down her cheeks at the sound of hearing her beloved friend's voice.

"Natsu…" Lucy choked out as she buried her face into E.N.D's neck, "Natsu."

E.N.D closed his eyes, letting Lucy cry against him.

Igneel and the mages who witnessed the scene before them couldn't help but smiles that brightened their faces. They smiled at the tender scene between the two friends, who were reunited after the nightmare they had all just endured. But most of all they smiled in both realization and hope. Realization that Natsu, despite having been transformed into E.N.D, was still somewhere in the demon….and there was now hope of returning him back to normal.

Gray winced slightly when a buzzing sound, like static, filled his ears and he instantly recognized it as Warren's telepathy. He placed his index and middle fingers to his temple and opened the mental link.

"_Warren!?"_ Gray mentally called out, _"Is that you!?"_

"_Gray!" _Warren said in relief, _"Thank Mavis you're alright, I've finally managed a good connection!"_

"_Same to you Warren, same to you." _Gray replied,_ "What's your status?"_

"_I'm with Master Makarov and Master Mavis, we've found Mirajane and Erza along with the Exceed; they're in rough shape but they're alright."_

Gray let out a sigh of relief.

"_Hang on, I'm going to switch you over to Master Makarov." _Warren said.

"_Gray, you there?"_ Makarov asked, the telepath seamlessly changing from one person to the other.

"_Right here old man,"_ Gray said, _"everyone is present and accounted for. You are not going to believe what I have to tell you."_

"_There's no tome for that Gray; we were too late to stop FACE and I fear that it could go off at any moment. We have to link up and find a way to stop it."_

"_Uhm, Master,"_ Gray said, _"the only reason FACE hasn't gone off yet is because it's been put into some sort of standby mode."_

"_What; how!?"_ Makarov asked.

"_I'm not sure how but Natsu was able to stop it from firing. He said FACE is still active but until otherwise it can't be fired."_

"_Oh thank the Gods,"_ Makarov said, his relief obvious, _"Of course that brat would find a way to stop it. We now have something to work with. Warren has locked onto your location and we are heading your way."_

"_I'll let the others know. Also sir, Mard Geer and Acnologia are dead…Natsu…he defeated them."_

"_How!?"_ Makarov asked.

"_I'll explain when you get here…you have to see for yourself." _Gray said, his tone becoming somber.

"_Gray what's wrong?"_ Makarov asked.

"_You just have to see it for yourself Master."_ Gray repeated.

"…_Alright Gray…we'll be there soon. Oh! I forgot to mention, Wendy and Carla met up with us a few minutes ago; they're alright. We also have some mutual friends who have arrived to back us up."_

"_Who?"_ Gray asked.

"_You'll see soon enough."_ Makarov asked, _"For now, it appears the fight is over…we can start to focus on stopping FACE and rebuilding what has been lost."_

"_Amen to that Ma-"_ Gray said but was abruptly cut off when a feeling similar to the coldest ice water running down his back cut into his senses. The chill was carried into a breeze that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

And then there was a feeling-an aura of magic-that screamed dread; absolute and pure dread.

Turning his head to the source of the sensation, Gray froze in place as his eye began to slowly widen in horror.

"Master…" Gray said aloud, swallowing hard, "I think…I think we have a new problem."

The other mages and Igneel were in similar states of shock and horror as they realized what, or rather, _who_ they were staring at.

He was a young man, with short black hair that drifted in the breeze as did the white toga and red and brown robes that covered his body. He had a small but relieved smile on his face.

"Hello E.N.D…" he spoke, "or should I say; Natsu?"

E.N.D, who still held Lucy close, unwrapped his wings from her and slowly turned to face the newcomer who had spoken his name. Lucy did the same and she gasped in shock.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" The newcomer said.

Slowly, E.N.D raised his arm to shield Lucy as he uttered the name that instantly came from the back of his mind. Together with Natsu's, the Other's, and his voice combined, a single name was uttered.

"_**Zeref."**_

XXXX

A/N: DUN-DUN-DUN! Well folks, one hell of a chapter completed!

So folks, what do you all think of this one? It was a doozy to write but I think I was able to pull it off. Mard Geer and Acnologia are dead but now Zeref has made his appearance. I have one question; after what I just wrote…how in the hell am I supposed surpass all of this in the next chapter!?

*sighs* One bridge at a time I guess.

All right people, here's what's going to happen. Next week is finals week for me here at college so I'll be busy studying and then I'll also be packing up to head home for winter break (one-month of no college; yeehaw!). I will be writing in between that time but as to how far I'll get with my stories, I really can't say. I will say that despite exams and studying, I am going to try and update both _Into the Fire_ and _Kids: Knight's Tale_ sometime during the week. If not, expect them to come out the week before Christmas. I'm halfway through with them but between this story, college and everything else, I just haven't had time to work on the two. I still have my train of thought for the two stories, so don't worry!

_I will update, I can promise you all that. _

But until then, hopefully this will hold you over until the next update or when I get to my other stories.

…And in regards to the whole "Firin Mah Lazer" business in this chapter…well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Next time; CHAPTER 3: Zeref

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING! And if I don't update this story beforehand, I wish you all a very merry Christmas!


	3. Chapter 3: Zeref

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back! First of all let me wish you all a happy New Year; 2014 is done and out and we are now in 2015! I hope you all got a chance to celebrate with friends and family.

I apologize for the delay with this story. I got busy with my final exams and the holiday's which followed after, plus I was updating some other stories of mine. And I got sick for a few days too so that kept me out of action for a bit (still stuck with the cough from hell)…yeah, busy, busy as usual-what can I say?

I got caught up with the latest FT Manga chapter's the other day…for those of you who have read 'em, all I have to say is this; so yeah _that_ happened. I was expecting it…but it still hurt to see/read none the less. The Tartarus arc has seemingly come to a close so everything from this point on deviates from the main story line (as it should be fairly obvious by now).

So, last time we left off with END!Natsu delivering the mother of all beat downs onto both Mard Geer and Acnologia…and subsequently killing them both. The fighting caused END to change his form once again but at the same time he is still dealing with his split personalities. It all culminated with END seemingly regaining his memories of Natsu from when he was human, as he remembers his dear friend, Lucy Heartfilia. It would seem that he is on the path to recovery…at least, he was until Zeref decided to make his entrance.

Which is where we find ourselves now.

Things are about to get worse before they get better and whenever Zeref is involved, you know it can't be good. Also expect E.N.D's form to change once again too but these will be minor changes.

But, before we continue, here is a shout out to you wonderful people who left some wonderful reviews:

_**dragonball256: **_Hello there and welcome back, sorry for the delay with chapter. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter, yeah Mard Geer did get annoying and turns out he was going to get killed off anyway; that's Mashima for you! Also glad you got the laser reference (I had fun writing that part!). As for what will happen in this chapter and who will live or die…well, you'll just have to read to find out.

_**Gh0st's buddy:**_ Hello, welcome back! Glad to know you liked all the action in the last chapter. 7? I wasn't aware that there was an action meter for those types of fights. I can assure you with Zeref's arrival things are going to get very hectic very fast and the end of this chapter will have some…surprises, so to speak.

_**Wacko12:**_ Hello there and welcome back. Ah, asking the tough questions aren't we. Well, I'm not sure of what Zeref and Natsu's connection really is, so I'm flying blind when it comes to answering that. Your question will not be answered in this chapter but I can assure you, it will be answered in the next.

_**CopDog:**_ Hello there and welcome to the story. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.

_**Fire girl 108:**_ Hello and welcome to the story, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.

_**Dark Shinning Light:**_ Hello and welcome back to the story. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and that the NaLu moments were just right for you. Always happy to hear that my writing inspired a fangirl moment every now and then.

_**DarkRose358:**_ Hello and welcome to the story. I'm glad you like the story so far and that your mind's eye was bringing the chapter to life.

_**GhostOfOnyx:**_ Hello and welcome to the story, glad you're enjoying it so far.

_**Risshu:**_ Hello there and welcome to the story; sorry for the long delay with this, I hope you enjoy what transpires this time around.

_**brooke0315: **_Hello there and welcome to the story, I am glad to know that you are enjoying the story so far. And I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I passed my finals. I wracked my brain but it all paid off in the end.

Now that's taken care of…let's continue with our story!

XXXX

CHAPTER 3: Zeref

XXXX

"_Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."_ –Friedrich Nietzsche

XXXX

"Master…" Gray said aloud, swallowing hard, "I think…I think we have a new problem."

The other mages and Igneel were in similar states of shock and horror as they realized what, or rather, who they were staring at.

He was a young man, with short black hair that drifted in the breeze as did the white toga and red and brown robes that covered his body. He had a small but relieved smile on his face.

"Hello E.N.D…" he spoke, "or should I say; Natsu?"

E.N.D, who still held Lucy close, unwrapped his wings from her and slowly turned to face the newcomer who had spoken his name. Lucy did the same and she gasped in shock.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" The newcomer said.

Slowly, E.N.D raised his arm to shield Lucy as he uttered the name that instantly came from the back of his mind. Together with Natsu's, the Other's, and his voice combined, a single name was uttered.

"_**Zeref."**_

Zeref, the dark mage who had created the demons that had tormented the Fairy Tail mages-the one who had created E.N.D-had finally appeared. Zeref inclined his head towards his most powerful creation, that small smile of his still on his face.

"Yes E.N.D," Zeref said, "We meet at last. It seems you have found your host body."

Zeref then frowned slightly, however.

"It would also seem that Natsu wasn't as strong as I thought he was in resisting you."

E.N.D didn't respond. He merely stared at his creator, a tense silence filling the air between the two.

"Y-you." Lucy stuttered out, "What are you doing here?"

"Zeref," Igneel hissed, "I should have known you'd turn up eventually."

"The presence of my demons drew me here. I knew they were up to something that involved trying to awaken E.N.D…so I decided to see what they were up to this time. It seems they've made quite a mess haven't they?"

No one answered but the dark mage wasn't concerned in the least.

"But none of that matters now," Zeref said, "E.N.D has awoken…which mean the endgame can begin."

"What are you talking about?" Gray said but Zeref ignored him.

"E.N.D…Natsu," Zeref said, "Do you remember, last we met, what I asked you?"

E.N.D slowly raised his hand to his temple as he felt a sudden ache fill his head.

"Life or death?" Zeref said, "Which will it be? Will one of you prevail over the other...will one of you be the one to finally kill me?"

E.N.D froze as his hand fell back to his side, a blank look in his glowing eyes.

"Natsu?" Lucy said, "What's wrong…Natsu what's wrong?"

E.N.D didn't respond but his hand began to subconsciously push Lucy back as if sensing an impending danger.

"**Stay…back…Lucy."** E.N.D said, still in a daze.

"Natsu?" Lucy said in both confusion and fear.

"**Not…safe."** E.N.D replied.

"So you do remember." Zeref said, "Well now…what will your choice be? Who will it be E.N.D; you or Natsu?"

E.N.D still did not answer, not when his mind was in disarray with Zeref's arrival.

XXXX

_At long last_, the Other said, _my master has returned._

"_Zeref!" _Natsu said, _"He's back."_

"**Who is he?"** E.N.D asked, **"He's familiar to me…but I don't know why."**

"_He's bad,"_ Natsu said, _"really bad, we have to get away from him!"_

_Why?_ Said the other, _He is our master, why should we turn him away? We now have the opportunity to fulfill our purpose._

"_No!" Natsu said, "He's your master, not ours."_

The other let out a menacing cackle that unnerved both Natsu and E.N.D.

_Oh how wrong you are,_ the Other said, _you think that just because you two can resist me, you are immune to the influence of Lord Zeref!? HA! Don't make me laugh._

In the mindscape that the three personalities shared, the Other finally chose to manifest itself. Before E.N.D's astral form and Natsu's childlike appearance, a living shadow slowly morphed and bent its way out of the darkness. Soon enough, the shadow took shape: legs formed to a torso, arms to a chest and a head to a neck; a head with horns and glowing red eyes. A pair of wings appeared and flared out from its back.

It didn't take E.N.D long to figure out that he was looking at mirror but darker image of himself. Natsu let out a terrified whimper and hid behind E.N.D's leg.

_I-no-we were born from Zeref and his magic_, the Other said in a leering manner, _and therefore we are connected to him. The only reason we are like this, is because that brat resisted the inevitable; that he was to be the instrument of Zeref's will._

The other held out his arms as if he were emphasizing something obvious.

_And his will_, he said_, is to finally meet his end._

"**What are you getting at?"** E.N.D said as the Other chuckled in mild amusement.

_Isn't it obvious,_ the Other said, _Lord Zeref wants to die. That is his will, which is our purpose; to help him die. It may not have been our purpose when we were first crafted by Lord Zeref's hands, but it has become his will now. As the prodigal son, we should feel more than happy to fulfill the wish of our "father."_

"**I want no part in this,"** E.N.D said, **"I've resisted you this long and I sure as hell can continue. I refuse to become a murder."**

_That's rich considering you just slaughtered Mard Geer and Acnologia,_ the Other cackled.

"**Those two were different and you know it. They attacked me and the mages; if anything, they deserved it."** E.N.D bit back.

_And you think they will fare any better against Lord Zeref once you tell him you refuse to carry out his will?,_ the Other said, _They'll be dead before they know what's hit 'em._

"**I won't let that happen. I'll-"** E.N.D began but was cut off with a sinister laugh from the Other.

_You'll what? _the Other said, _Fight him? Resist him? HA! You can sense it can't you? Lord Zeref's influence, that nagging cold feeling that grips what passes for our heart? The more you resist, the stronger the pull grows and the more you fight, the closer I get to taking back the reigns._

"**What?"** E.N.D said in shock.

_Before, you were able to hold me off because of the brat and those damn memories. They kept us separated and allowed you to act of your own accord. But now that Lord Zeref has returned…so has my strength. His life is my life and we are forever bound through that twisted little bond of ours._ The Other said.

Shadows suddenly began to swirl in a menacing pattern around E.N.D and Natsu-

_Now if you don't mind_, the Other said.

-as a tendril of darkness snapped out at Natsu, grabbing the child around the ankle and yanking him down to floor with a terrified yelp. Before Natsu or E.N.D could react, the child was quickly whisked away into the shadows as he desperately clawed at the floor and pleaded for help.

"**Natsu!"** E.N.D said only for a flurry of tendrils to ensnare his arms and legs and pull him to his knees.

The other raised his hand as his fingers morphed into razor sharp daggers. His eyes narrowed, as if he were grinning.

_I'd like my body back._

And with those words, the Other plunged his fingers into E.N.D's forehead. E.N.D in turn began to scream in agony as a black ichor began to seep from the wounds, his eyes rolling up into his head. And all the while, the Other's laughter grew louder and louder as he reasserted his control.

XXXX

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out in shock.

Lucy wasn't sure what exactly happened.

One minute, E.N.D-no, Natsu she reminded herself- was beckoning her back in warning as Zeref made his appearance, and the next he was suddenly clutching at his head; screaming in agony.

E.N.D fell to his knees as he bent forward in agony. Zeref watched the scene with interest, inkling his head, while the others could only look on, unsure of what hell Natsu was being forced into now. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, E.N.D stopped his screaming. His body stilled and his hands slowly fell away from his head as he began to rise to his feet, head still bent.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked tentatively as she stepped closer, "Natsu are you alright?"

E.N.D didn't respond. He simply looked at his hands as he clenched and unclenched his fingers.

"So," Zeref said as he raised his head, "it has been decided. You have returned…"

E.N.D raised his head, not turning his head as he clenched his right into a fist to the point where the knuckles cracked. His shoulder blade twitched and the arm snapped up in a blur towards Lucy. The blonde felt herself pulled back just as quickly as she let out a surprised gasp, on part because of the jerking sensation, but more to the fact that she had narrowly avoided her head getting lopped off from the blade that extended out from E.N.D's arm.

Lucy looked to her waist where she saw a tendril of water dissipate from around her waist. She looked to her right to see the water return to Juvia who along with Gray was wide eyed at what E.N.D had just done.

"N-Natsu?" Lucy said as she looked back to E.N.D as the arm blade slid back in place.

E.N.D lowered his arm and looked over his shoulder to the mages, making many gasp in shock. The maw had returned to cover E.N.D's mouth; the ends turned up in a malevolent, twisted grin.

"**Nice save there water girl, a second sooner and she would be a head shorter so to speak."**

But most shocking of all were E.N.D's eyes which no longer glowed a fierce red. The sclera had turned from white to black, the iris had also turned black but was now outlined in red and the pupil had also changed to a similar shade of red as well.

"**In regards to Natsu, he isn't here anymore,"** E.N.D said, **"but I'm willing to take a message."**

E.N.D's voice had now become deep, sonorous and sinister with malice punctuating each word and syllable. The Echo that had been Natsu's voice was now gone. It quickly became clear to the mages that the demon that was E.N.D, had fully taken over Natsu.

"…E.N.D." Zeref said.

"No..." Lucy whispered.

"What…I mean…how?" Levy said as E.N.D turned sideways to face the mages.

"Son of a bitch," Igneel whispered in shock before his brow quickly furrowed in anger, "he's back."

"What did you do?" Gray hissed, directing his gaze to Zeref, "What did you do to him?!"

"**He woke me up,"** E.N.D said, **"and I put the little punk back in his place."**

The demon lord of Tartarus then turned his head to face Zeref, bowing slightly when he faced the dark mage.

"**Lord Zeref," **E.N.D said, **"it's been too long."**

"So it has E.N.D," Zeref replied, frowning slightly, "I guess Natsu was truly overwhelmed after all."

"**You sound disheartened my lord, dose my presence despise you so?"** E.N.D said in amusement.

"I was hoping that Natsu would be able to settle things between us…I grew a bit fond of him in a way." Zeref replied.

"**Beggars can't be choosers my lord,"** said E.N.D, "**the brat has been dealt with for the time being. I for one am all too happy to fill his shoes…and carry out your will."**

Zeref sighed in resignation before smiling his small smile, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"So it would seem." Zeref said, "Tell me E.N.D, what is my will."

E.N.D's eyes narrowed as his grin tightened on his maw.

"**To end your life my lord…that is your will. To give you the death you have been longing for and return to your side once and for all."** E.N.D said.

"WHAT!?" Gray and Lucy said in shock.

"You want to kill Zeref?" Levy said, "But…why? He is your master-your creator-is he not?"

"**I thought it would be quite clear,"** E.N.D said as he turned back to address the mages, **"I mean, how could it not? Did any of you ever stop to think what would happen when the demons of Tartarus resurrected me? Why they wanted so desperately to "return" to Lord Zeref?"**

The demon lord pointed to said dark mage.

"**In killing Zeref we too shall die."** E.N.D said in sadistic glee as he watched the realization dawn on the faces of the Fairy Tail mages.

"**We were born from him so naturally we should die with him. We will have come full circle."**

"Then…then that would mean Natsu…" Lucy said as E.N.D chuckled darkly.

"**Again with that meddlesome brat. But I give you credit girl, you catch on quick. The boy is my host so ergo we are connected to one another. So if I die…he dies."** E.N.D said as he chuckled again, **"Two corpses in one grave." **

"I knew you had a death wish Zeref," Igneel said as he glared at the dark mage, "but to have gone so far as this…"

Zeref simply smirked prompting a growl from Igneel.

"You planned this out from the start didn't you?" The dragon hissed, "From the moment you met Natsu, you had this "end" in mind for the two of you."

"…No," Lucy said as she began to shake her head, "No! It can't be…you can't do that! Not to him; not to Natsu!"

E.N.D simply chuckled darkly in response to Lucy's protests.

"I won't let you harm Natsu; the both of you!" Lucy yelled, directing her anger to both E.N.D and Zeref.

"**And what do you intend to girl? You think you have what it takes to stop me from carrying out my masters will?"**

"She won't be alone," Gray said as he stepped forward, "Natsu is one of ours and we'll fight like hell to get him back. Even if it means kicking your ass into next week, we'll get our comrade back."

Gray's statement earned a reinvigorated response of determination from the other Fairy Tail mages via a series of battle cries and personal declarations. E.N.D, for his part, simply rolled his eyes and sighed deeply before pinching his brow.

"**So misguided."** E.N.D said as he flared his magical aura. It visibly manifested in the air around E.N.D and radiated like the heat from a fire...only instead of warmth, a deathly chill took its place.

The air became thick and heavy-borderline suffocating in fact-with what could only be described as personified hatred. It was an overwhelming sensation that brought the mages to their knees as they gasped and panted for breathe. Even Igneel-due to his weakened state-was forced to collapse to the ground.

The only ones standing were E.N.D and Zeref, who was unfazed by the killing intent being generated by the demon.

"**You know,"** E.N.D said as he calmly walked over to Gray before kneeling down to the ice mage, **"I never really understood that about you humans. Even when you find yourselves at death's door, you continue to put up a brave face and fight on."**

Gray, despite the shaking of his body, managed to look up at E.N.D who impassively stared back at the ice mage.

"**What you are feeling is only a fraction of my power. Due to the circumstances surrounding my awakening, I am not at my full power."**

He then raised his index finger and turned it into a razor sharp claw and slowly dragged it across Gray's cheek, making him wince in pain. The blade was hot to the touch.

"**However, I awoke with enough strength to kill both Mard Geer and Acnologia…and it's more than enough for me to simply turn you into a bloody smear on the ground if I so much as flick my wrist."**

E.N.D leaned closer to Gray and cocked his head slightly. It was a simple but unnerving gesture.

"**Why on Earthland would you think that you could stop me from killing Zeref…when it would be child's play for me to kill you and the rest of your pathetic friends."**

E.N.D rose to his feet and turned on his heel, walking away from Gray. He paused long enough to look over his shoulder and back at the ice mage, a taunting smirk having formed on the maw.

"**Death comes for all and no matter how hard we try, it always catches up to us. Lord Zeref and I shall die on this day, as will my host…and the lot of you as well if you try to get in my way."**

"B-Bastard." Gray said as he continued to struggle against E.N.D's killing intent.

"N-No," Lucy said in an equal state, "s-stop, please!"

But E.N.D ignored the humans, having turned his attention back to Zeref.

"**Let's take our "discussion" elsewhere,"** E.N.D said as he came to a stop next to his master, **"I don't want these vermin to interrupt us. Especially since I sense more of them drawing closer."**

"I agree," Zeref said, "I don't want to put this off any longer than I already have. Follow me, I know a spot."

With those words, Zeref began to fade away like smoke in the wind. E.N.D cracked his knuckles and neck before his body too began to disperse in a flurry of burning embers.

"**Eager to die aren't we?"** E.N.D said before letting out a throaty cackle, **"How amusing."**

And then he too was gone…freeing the mages of the killing intent that had immobilized them while they watched Zeref and E.N.D literally set out to their deaths.

XXXX

"DAMN IT!" Gray yelled as he slammed his fist onto the ground, "They got away!"

"Why," Lucy said as tears began to spill from her eyes, "why is this happening?"

"Those damn bastards ran off," Gajeel said as he helped Levy stand on her feet, "all so they could carry out some twisted death wish."

"I was afraid something like this would happen." A voice suddenly said, catching the mages attention.

They turned their attention to a large mound of rubble that lay nearby, just in time to see Mavis Vermillion hop on down to meet the mages.

"E.N.D's awakening would herald the return of Zeref," the resurrected first leader of Fairy Tail said, "but I never would have imagined all of this happening all so soon…and to one of our own none the less."

"Master Mavis." Levy said.

"Hello Miss McGarden," Mavis said with a slight bow of her head, "I am glad to see that you alive; all of you in fact."

"Master Mavis…Natsu he's…" Lucy said but Mavis raised her hand, gently silencing Lucy.

"We know Lucy…we know." Mavis said gently.

"And we'll get him back." A new but familiar voice said.

The mages looked up to see Master Makarov slide down the rubble and come to a stop next to Mavis. But he was not alone for the remainder of Fairy Tail followed close behind him…and then some. For amongst the group, back on their feet, were Laxus, Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen; the Thunder God Tribe was back in action. They all looked worse for wear but they stood tall regardless of their injuires.

"Laxus!" Gray said as a smile formed on his face, "Freed, Bickslow; you guys are alright!"

"You know it," Laxus said with a smirk before wincing slightly, "it'll take more than some of that black magic shit to keep me and the others down."

"Don't get any funny ideas," Porlyusica said, her tone stern, "the antidote I made for you may have saved your hides but you're still not at one hundred percent."

"Hey don't forget about us," Erza said she appeared…leaning against one Jellal Fernandes and Meredy, "we can still fight too."

Lucy noted that Jellal had a series of bandages wrapped around his eyes but that didn't appear to hindrance him in the least.

"Erza!" Lucy said, her shock matching the others in her group, "Jellal, Meredy, is that you?!"

"Hello Lucy," Jellal said, "it's been a while hasn't it?"

The trio were shortly followed by Mirajane who was being carried by Elfman, Minerva-still in her demon form, the exceed and-much to everyone's surprise, Midnight, Cobra, Angel, Racer and Hoteye from the Oracion Seis dark guild.

"W-What are they doing here!?" Lucy said in understandable alarm. She still hadn't forgotten what the dark mages had done to her and the others during the whole fiasco with their attempt to resurrect both Jellal and Zeref.

"Relax Lucy," Makarov said, "they are not here to harm us."

"Makarov is right," Jellal said, "they are with me and Meredy of their own accord. After some… "Convincing" we were able to reach an agreement that we shared a common enemy; Zeref. We have combined forces in hopes of finally defeating him."

"You're too late," Gray said, "You just missed him."

"We know." Cobra said as he turned his attention not to Gray, but Kinana instead, "We sensed his presence as we made our way here; hell I could hear his voice for crying out loud."

"And we will deal with him when we find him." Jellal said.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"We intend to kill Zeref," said Midnight, "to end him once and for all and make him pay for what he has done to us."

"Kill him?!" Lucy said in surprise, looking to Jellal aghast.

"Get in line," Gray said, "E.N.D took over Natsu for the sole purpose of doing that. Both of them have some twisted death wish going on."

"And if E.N.D kills Zeref then he dies too." Lucy said, "If E.N.D dies…Natsu dies."

"Jellal…" Erza said as she looked up to man she loved, still leaning on him for support.

"If that is the case Lucy…I can make no promises." Jellal said, shocking Lucy and Gray.

"Tread carefully Jellal." Makarov warned.

"Zeref has brought nothing but pain and suffering to the lives he's touched; he has to die for all that he has done." Jellal said.

"We will try to help Natsu if we can but when it comes down to it, Zeref is my group's primary target."

"You…you make it sound as if Natsu has been lost to us completely." Lucy said.

"So long as he is under E.N.D's control he will be." Mavis said, "But if we can find a way to break his hold over Natsu and prevent from Zeref from interfering, we can save him."

"Even if we have to beat E.N.D out of Natsu," Makarov said, "we will save Natsu."

"Master…" Lucy said.

"We will join you too." A feminine voice said from above.

All present looked to the sky to see a sight that could only be described as miraculous; the dragons who had been in hiding for so long had returned. Weisslogia, Metalicana and Grandeeney carefully descended to the ground below while Skiadrum emerged from the shadow he had casted over the ground. From the feather's on Grandeeney's back emerged Wendy, Carla and Doranbolt, who were helped to the ground by the dragon. Along with the dragons, a familiar air ship also descended from the clouds-landing near the assembled mages.

It was the Christina of the Blue Pegasus guild.

The boarding ramp descended from the air ship as its crew and passengers disembarked. The first to leave were Ichiya and his group but surprisingly, they were not alone.

"I hope you don't mind but we brought a few extra guests to the party. It was on short notice but I was able to scrape together this wonderful lot." Ichiya said as he approached Makarov.

Accompanying Blue Pegasus were mages from Sabretooth, Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale.

Only Yukino was present on Sabretooth's behalf but she was accompanied by Kagura, Risley and Millianna of Mermaid Heel and Lyon, Jura, Sherry and Chelia of Lamia Scale.

"You didn't think we'd sit out something like this did you?" Lyon asked, speaking on behalf of the assembled force of mages.

"What…what are you all doing here?" Erza asked as she took time to look at each mage.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kagura asked with a sly smile.

"We're here to help you guys out of the mess you got yourselves into." Millianna finished.

"I sent a message to Blue Pegasus an hour before the attack asking if they could help us search for Face once we knew of its location and to contact the other guilds for support. I'm glad to know my words were taken for granted this time around." Makarov said.

"The threat Face posed was a threat against all of us," Jura said, "we weren't going to sit by idly and watch the world go to hell around us."

"We're here to help," Lyon said, "whether this be a private fight or not."

"Thank you…all of you." Makarov said, "I'll bring you all up to speed on what's happened over the last few hours."

While Makarov spoke the assembled force of mages, the dragons were in a conversation of their own.

After Grandeeney had ushered Wendy off to the others-despite a series of protests from the young girl-she had turned her attention to her fellow dragon and old comrade, Igneel.

"Look at you," Grandeeney scolded as she conjured up her healing magic, "you're an utter mess, honestly."

"You don't sound surprised." Igneel grimaced as he felt his wounds heal and bones reset.

"You're always getting into trouble so I'm really not." Grandeeney said, "You damn idiot."

"Acnologia was stronger than I anticipated." Igneel said, "Had it not been for him focusing his attention on Natsu, I'm sure I'd be dead already."

"What's the matter fire brain," Metalicana cackled, "getting senile in your old age?"

"Bite me copper head, I'd like to see you fare any better." Igneel hissed.

"Speaking of your child," Weisslogia said, "what do you intend to do about him now? I felt the disturbance E.N.D created when he awoke and latched onto your son."

Igneel frowned and averted his eyes. It was obvious that he was ashamed at the fact that he had been unable to protect Natsu, no matter how hard he had tried.

"We will not last long in a full scale fight." Skiadrum said, "We only have limited magic and strength left now that the antibodies for our children have been made."

"We have to try." Igneel said, "We have to find some way to weaken E.N.D or break his connection to Zeref."

"Are you suggesting we take on Zeref himself?" Grandeeney asked.

"No, it would be a bloodbath…especially since he would use everything he has against us now that he is focused on dying."

"And like we'd do any better against E.N.D." Metalicana added.

"E.N.D we can handle." Igneel said, "We fought him before and we must fight him again. Both to defeat him and for Natsu's sake…it is the only way that we can manage a chance of freeing him."

The dragons were quiet as they mulled over the words they knew to be true. As Grandeeney's magic finished healing Igneel's wounds, the fire king chose to speak again.

"We are all on borrowed time…but I'll be damned if I lose my son to that bastard." Igneel said.

"And don't tell me you wouldn't do the same for your children. We owe them this much."

"…He's right," Skiadrum said after a pause, "…if this our last stand…I want to make it count for something."

"I agree with Skiadrum." Weisslogia said, "I may be old but I still got some fight left in me. And this has been a fight I have been waiting a long time for."

"You idiots, talking about running headlong into certain death like we're the heroes of some episodic story," Grandeeney said as she rolled her eyes…before smiling gently, "I'm game."

Metalicana for his part sighed deeply and shook his head.

"This sounds like a run of the mill suicide mission. Even at half strength, E.N.D easily outclasses us. You'd half to be a complete fool to take on a threat like him." The iron dragon said before cracking his trademark grin, "Count me in."

"Thank you," Igneel said, "Grandeeney, Metalicana, Skiadrum and Weisslogia. Thank you."

"Now all we need to do is find Zeref and E.N.D." Grandeeney said.

"We won't have to look far," Igneel said, "you can sense them can't you…that chill in the air, that creeping dread at the edge of your senses? All we have to do is follow it and we'll find out quarry."

"And our final battle will begin." Skiadrum added.

"Indeed…" Igneel said, "Let's tell the humans that we know where to go and that they should follow us in. We'll engage E.N.D and Zeref until they arrive in force. From there…we play the cards we've been dealt."

Metalicana let out audible sigh accompanied by groan.

"What are you whining about now?" Weisslogia asked.

"Something tells me," Metalicana sighed, "that this is going to suck."

XXXX

"You want me to what?" Zeref asked as he looked down upon the demon from his perch on a rocky outcropping.

"**You heard me,"** E.N.D said as he cracked his neck and stretched his arms across his chest, _**"fight me."**_

"Why on Earthland do you want me to do that?" Zeref replied as E.N.D stretched his wings.

"**Simple,"** E.N.D said, **"I want to make killing you worth my wile."**

"Pardon?" Zeref asked.

"**I've been cooped up for who knows how long and I just got this body back from the brat and my other half. I want savor the thrill of the ultimate kill. I want us to earn our death, not simply end it right here, right now." **E.N.D said as he looked up to Zeref, his eyes narrowing in glee as the edges of the maw turned up in a perceived psychotic grin.

Zeref sighed deeply and crossed his arms.

"You're really going to force me to do this aren't you?" the dark mage asked while the demon chuckled, raising his right hand which had shifted into a fearsome claw.

"**I will kill you or you will kill me,"** the demon said with a shrug of his shoulders, **"it makes no difference either way."**

"…Very well then." Zeref said and without missing a beat, E.N.D's hand snapped out to blast the rock on which Zeref stood with a blazing stream of fire.

The rock exploded in large chunks of molten rock and smoking bits. Zeref however had leapt away from his perch at the last second, sliding down the rock face so that he and E.N.D were on even ground. The dark mage raised his left hand as dark, shadow like magic swirled around the limb.

"Death Magic," Zeref said, "Death Wave."

The shadow spread out from Zeref like its name implied but E.N.D made no move to dodge the attack, opting to take the brunt of it head on. The wave of death energy easily sucked the life out of everything it touched but when it touched E.N.D, the results were on the more…gruesome side of things.

Instantly, as if he had been struck by a caustic, shredding force of wind, E.N.D's skin and armor were blasted off his body revealing the muscle, sinew and bone that lay beneath. Lava instantly spilled from the wounds, scorching the ground as E.N.D stumbled back. But the nightmarish display didn't last long, however. Steam instantly rose from E.N.D's body and soon enough his skin and armor had regenerated just as quickly as it had been stripped away.

"**I forgot how caustic that spell can be."** E.N.D said as his eyes reformed in their sockets before they narrowed in a sinister manner.

"**My turn."** E.N.D said as his mouth opened as he lurched his head back, sucking in a large amount of air as he did so. He then tossed his head forward as a brilliant jet of flame was fired from the maw.

The fire blast struck Zeref as the dark mage quickly back peddled from the attack. His clothes were slightly singed but other than that, he was relatively unscathed.

"It's funny," Zeref said as he dusted some soot from his shoulder, "my heart yearns for death but my body reacts on instinct to move away from danger."

"**Ironic."** E.N.D said before tapping his boot on the ground with enough force to propel a chunk of rock up from the ground. His arm snapped out just as quickly to deliver a straight punch to the rock and fire it at Zeref.

Zeref deflected the attack with his magic only to see E.N.D come charging in low to the ground, arm blades extended. Zeref moved back to put some distance between him and E.N.D and moved backwards just in time to dodge a series of swift slashes from E.N.D's arm blades. Hopping onto a vine covered mound of stones, Zeref quickly summoned his Death Orb and fired it at E.N.D. Once again, the demon took the attack head on and found his body blasted to pieces but not before he fired the blade out of his arm at Zeref.

The spike reached Zeref before the mage could dodge but it only managed to cut deeply into his cheek and sever a few strands of hair.

As E.N.D's body pulled itself back together, a wide eyed Zeref slowly raised his hands to his cheek and touched the cut there. He winced at the contact and pulled his fingers away to gasp at the sight of crimson covering his fingertips.

"Blood…" Zeref whispered as he rubbed his thumb and fingers together, smearing the blood.

"My blood," Zeref said as a twisted smile formed on his lips, "it's been a long time since I've seen my blood."

"**Funny,"** E.N.D said as he popped his neck back in place, **"I was expecting dust to leak out of you instead."**

"**I am curios though,"** E.N.D said, **"why, out of all places, did you choose here to die? Why not just go someplace out of reach from both the humans and dragons? They're bound to catch onto us soon."**

Zeref sighed and smiled a small smile.

"Many years ago…I met a girl by the name of Mavis Vermillion at this spot. I found her to be a quirky but endearing girl who was…special. She had a certain aura to her, a magic I had not seen before…and you could say that I became fond of her…in a way." Zeref said before he smiled as he appeared to reminisce over a memory.

"She would later go on to form a certain magic guild; a guild whose destiny seems to be intertwined with ours."

"**Those humans back there."** E.N.D said.

"Yes…Fairy Tail." Zeref said, "I figured that it would be somewhat fitting for me to die in a place that I am familiar with…a poetic take on coming full circle, in a sense."

"**Whatever helps you sleep."** E.N.D said as he prepared a new attack. He held up his middle and index fingers and his thumb in an "L" shape before making a circular motion in the air in front of him. A series of glyphs made from fire formed a ring that hovered mid-air as E.N.D extended his index finger at Zeref. The center of the ring was filled in by a glyph that burned brightly before a blazing blast of fire was fired in a vortex like attack.

Even as the vortex engulfed Zeref, E.N.D flicked his finger and cycled to a new glyph which fired multiple tendrils of fire that soared into air, zig-zaged forward or burrowed in and out of the ground. The tendrils all met up at the inferno where Zeref stood before the combined attacks created a tremendous explosion of flame that shook the ground and made the air sizzle and pop.

Not finished quite just yet, E.N.D cycled to the final rune. The ring instantly faded away while the glyph remained. It then moved back and imbedded itself into the top of E.N.D's hand before glowing fiercely. E.N.D fully extended his hand, curled his fingers and then snapping his hand up. The fire that had engulfed Zeref then began to swirl in a circular manner before spiraling up into the air. E.N.D then pumped his arm down once. The fire tumbled down and impacted the ground, creating another blast of fire that spread out in all directions-igniting both rock and vegetation on fire.

But the fire didn't last long and only a thick haze of smoke filled the area.

E.N.D flapped his wings three times and quickly dispelled the smoke. He now saw a crater before him where the ground had been turned to glass from the firestorm. Steam radiated off the glass and in the center of it, Zeref lay in a heap. Grunting, E.N.D walked up to the crater and stepped into it, his boots cracking the ground beneath his feet as he approached Zeref. To the demons surprise, Zeref once again appeared to be relatively unscathed. His clothes were burnt and torn while portions of his skin were covered in a thick layer of soot…but other than that, the dark mage was otherwise fine.

"**You're a tough son of a bitch I'll give you that much."** E.N.D said.

Zeref let out a series of coughs and rolled over, giving E.N.D a sardonic smile.

"I use death magic," Zeref said, "after four hundred years it's made me a bit hard to kill."

E.N.D sighed and proceeded to lift Zeref up by the neck.

"Have you had enough?" Zeref rasped as E.N.D let out a disappointed sigh.

"**Killjoy."** E.N.D said as he raised his right arm, arm blade extended.

The two silently regarded each other for a minute before E.N.D slowly pulled his arm back, aiming his blade at Zeref's heart.

"**It'll be quick,"** E.N.D said, **"and we both will be embraced by oblivion."**

Zeref closed his eyes and let a small, relieved smile form on his lips.

"_At long last…"_ Zeref thought on relief.

E.N.D closed his fingers into a fist, pulled his arm slightly further back…and was blasted away from Zeref when a shadow shot forth from the ground and hit E.N.D in the chest, knocking Zeref from his grip and sending him careening back. Knocked to the ground, Zeref could only wonder what had just happened when another shadow struck him and tossed him into the nearby brush.

Pulling himself out of the rock face he had been smashed into, E.N.D watched as Skiadrum materialized half of his body out of the ground.

E.N.D growled deeply while Skiadrum smirked.

"**You shouldn't have interfered dragon."** E.N.D hissed.

"I'd apologize for doing so but that would mean I'd be lying through my teeth." Skiadrum said before sharply ducking down just as the tree's behind him were blasted to pieces.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Metalicana bellowed as his signature attack soared over Skiadrum and blasted E.N.D upward through the rock face and into the air.

Before the demon could regain his bearings, Grandeeney-who had been circling high above E.N.D and Zeref's duel in waiting-swooped in and struck E.N.D full force with her one wing, pummeling E.N.D back to earth and into a rocky plain on the outskirts of the forest and Magnolia town.

For a minute, E.N.D lay absolutely still in the crater his fall had created, before he slowly began to push himself up; muttering explicative after explicative under his breath. He then proceeded to pop both of his arms back into their sockets before realigning his neck and spine. With the assistance of his wings, E.N.D pushed himself back to his feet.

"E.N.D!" Igneel's voice boomed as he landed a few yards away from the demon as the other dragons quickly appeared and formed a perimeter around E.N.D.

E.N.D spat a wad of lava out from his maw and glared at the fire dragon.

"**You."** E.N.D hissed, **"I should've known you and the rest of your overgrown lizards would interfere with me and my master."**

"I won't let your death result in Natsu's," Igneel said, "even if I have to beat you into the submission, you will not take my son from me."

"**Because you did such a splendid job the first time around."** E.N.D taunted, **"You failed to kill me before dragon; what makes you think you can stop me now?"**

"I'm not alone this time." Igneel said as the other dragon's let out a collective hiss.

"And it's not just us," Igneel continued, "the friends of my son are on their way to this spot as we speak. They will not let you take Natsu from them as well."

E.N.D's brow furrowed as he let out an irritated and angered growl.

"E.N.D." Zeref said as he suddenly appeared next to the demon, "Let us go elsewhere…these dragons will only hinder our endgame if we linger here."

"**And they will follow us if we leave." **E.N.D said, **"No Lord Zeref, this ends here. I've been out only for an hour and I'm already sick of these lizards."**

"Then allow me to dispatch them. I can kill these meddlesome dragons with ease." Zeref said and made to conjure his magic but E.N.D raised his extended his hand out the side, barring Zeref from making his move.

"**No,"** E.N.D said, "**I will handle these dragons and those annoying humans. I warned them not to interfere…now it is time they learn the consequences for not heeding my warning."**

Zeref cast an annoyed look at E.N.D to which the demon gave a pointed look of his own.

"**You've been around for four hundred years,"** E.N.D said, "**I'm sure a few more minutes won't kill you…that's my job after all."**

Zeref closed his eyes in resignation and sighed.

"…I'll be watching." Zeref said before disappearing once again like smoke in the wind.

"**Enjoy the show."** E.N.D replied as steam radiated off his body while the demon cracked his neck.

The armor that already covered E.N.D's exposed body began to expand and conform even further until his arms, neck, back, chest and torso were completely covered in the brushed black armor. E.N.D's hair-which was still Natsu's salmon pink-instantly darkened till it had turned black as well and the tattoo's which hovered over his shoulders engraved themselves into the armor. A series of cracks formed in the armor on E.N.D's forearms and glowed fiery red as E.N.D flexed his fingers.

His transformation was now complete.

"**So…"** E.N.D said, **"Who's ready to die?"**

And with that, the dragon's attacked.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Igneel said as he breathed out a jet of flame while Grandeeney and Metalicana fired off their own signature roar's and combined them with Igneel's.

E.N.D countered by inhaling deeply and firing off a jet of flame of his own.

The two attacks met halfway stalled against each other as both sides pushed against the other.

As the demon and the three dragons clashed in a battle of wills, Weisslogia and Skiadrum charged E.N.D while he was distracted. Summoning their magic around their claws, the dragons created a series of thin beams of light and shadow and bypassed E.N.D, allowing the beams to pierce the demon in a manner similar to the "White Shadow Dragon's Rough Silk" spell Sting and Rogue used.

Wounded, E.N.D could not focus on the combined dragon's roar and his attack was subsequently blasted away…along with his head and shoulders.

But even as his body fell to its knees, E.N.D suddenly latched onto the beams of light and shadow that were still stuck in his body before crossing his arms sharply. While his head and shoulders regenerated, E.N.D stood and pivoted on his foot before yanking Skiadrum and Weisslogia back to him with inhuman strength.

Strength that could only be possessed by a demon.

The two dragons were startled by the attack and quickly dispelled the light and shadow. But they were already in range of E.N.D who sprang at the duo with blinding speed and delivered a down roundhouse kick to Weisslogia's head before spinning around to Skiadrum and hitting him with a spinning elbow strike. With Skiadrum stunned, E.N.D swooped in low and up to deliver a fierce uppercut to the dragon.

"Hang on you two," Metalicana said as flew into the air to meet E.N.D, "I got him!"

E.N.D's head snapped to the side just in time to see Metalicana strike him down to the ground with a powered punch from his claw. Even as the demon plummeted, the iron dragon did not let up in his attacks as he delivered one punch after another, pushing E.N.D further and further into the earth.

His fist was suddenly stopped and he felt a sharp pain in his middle talon. As the dust cleared, he soon saw the reason why; E.N.D had singlehandedly caught his claw with his hand-his fingers having pierced his armored skin and holding him in place.

With surprising ease, E.N.D moved the dragon's claw to the side as his eyes began to glow a fierce red as cracks formed in the skin surrounding the eyes.

"Oh shit!" Metalicana said in alarm.

With a high pitched cry, E.N.D once again fired his optical laser. The energy beam struck Metalicana in his upper chest that he was dislodged from E.N.D. Before he could even so much as cry out in pain, E.N.D fired another blast which in a shower of sparks and blood, cut through Metalicana's shoulder. The demon then proceeded to hop into the air in front of the keeling dragon and double kicked him onto his back.

Landing, E.N.D cracked his knuckles and grinned his terrible grin when he turned his attention to Grandeeney and Igneel.

"You bastard!" Igneel roared and charged E.N.D.

"Igneel wait!" Grandeeney called out but her fellow dragon didn't hear her. He was too focused on attacking E.N.D.

E.N.D broke out into a run of his own and performed a power slide beneath Igneel when he got into range. He then flipped onto his back and kicked both of his feet up, striking Igneel in his abdomen and sending up into the air.

But Igneel took the brunt of the attack and even as he was propelled upwards, he countered with an attack of his own.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Igneel bellowed and cast a stream of fire down onto E.N.D.

E.N.D quickly extended his wings and flapped them once, propelling him into the air. He then cocked his fist back and punched the fire, instantly causing it to burst. But Igneel, having recovered from the previous hit, had been expecting this.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Igneel said as his wings burst into flame while he dropped down to E.N.D. He sharply banked right and stuck E.N.D with his left wing who blocked the attack with his forearm, only to have it incinerated.

"I'm not finished just yet!" Igneel snarled, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Igneel balled his right front claw into a fist and lashed out at E.N.D who blocked with his other arm. But it didn't make much of a difference. The arm and his chest cavity were shattered on contact and E.N.D plummeted back down. His wings flared at the last second, serving as air brakes and slowing his fall so that he could hover midair.

"**You know,"** E.N.D said as his arm and chest healed themselves, **"I remember you hitting a lot harder than that. What's the matter Fire King, getting complacent in your old age?"**

"Well," Igneel sneered, "when you've been asleep as long as I have, shit happens."

E.N.D cackled at hearing this, his maw opening but not moving with his voice.

"**Indeed it does!"** E.N.D said, **"And unfortunately for you, it's about to get worse!"**

E.N.D snapped his hand up, palm out as a series of runes appeared on his forearm. The runes glowed as flames of dark purple manifested on his arm.

"**Take this!"** E.N.D said and casted the fire from his arm. The dark fire raced at Igneel who once again took to the air in order to avoid the attack. To his shock, the fire followed him into the air, its movement's wild yet snake like in appearance.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Igneel bellowed and countered the fire with his own. To his horror, the purple fire easily pushed through his own and rapidly raced towards him.

But before the attack could strike, Igneel found himself knocked to the side when Grandeeney appeared next to him, body checking him out of harm's way…and taking Igneel's place as the target for E.N.D's attack.

"Grandeeney!" Igneel called out as the fire struck the female dragon, making her scream out in pain as she plummeted to the ground below. Her feathers and wings were singed and burnt and her body twitched in pain.

"**That was a ballsy move,"** E.N.D said as he turned his attention from Igneel to Grandeeney, **"you've got guts, I'll give you that."**

E.N.D then extended his arm blade in a slow, menacing manner.

"**Unfortunately for you, I'm about to rip 'em out."** The demon sneered.

"Do what you will," Grandeeney said as she weakly raised her head, "I do not fear death."

E.N.D chuckled darkly as he began to walk to Grandeeney.

"**You should be afraid…very afraid."** E.N.D said.

"Natsu no!" A voice called before a sudden gust of wind forced E.N.D to stumble back.

Following the voice, E.N.D watched as a young girl with short blue hair and a tattered dressed descended from the sky with the aid of white cat with wings. She landed in front of Grandeeney, her arms extended out and a desperate, pleading look on her face.

"Wendy!?" Grandeeney said in surprise.

"Natsu stop," Wendy pleaded as the demon glared at girl, "I know there's something wrong with you right now but you have to fight it! You have to come back to the light; please, I know you can hear me!"

"…**Never come between a demon and its prey girl,"** E.N.D hissed, **"Unless you want to join the body count."**

"Natsu…please…" Wendy pleaded.

"**Move or die."** E.N.D said as he raised his arm blade in warning. Swallowing hard, Wendy stood defiant to the demon.

"I won't let you hurt her," Wendy said, "I won't let you my mother; I won't let you hurt Grandeeney!"

"**So you're the lizard's brat now are you?"** E.N.D said in sadistic glee, **"Oh, I am going to enjoy this."**

He then began to march forward, his knuckles cracking as he flexed his fingers.

"Wendy move!" Grandeeney said, her tone desperate, "He'll kill you, don't waste your life for my sake!"

"No," Wendy said, "I'm not leaving you Grandeeney, not when I've just gotten you back."

With those words, Wendy inhaled deeply and summoned her magic.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy yelled as she cast a tunnel of wind at E.N.D.

The attack struck the demon and tore up the rocky ground around him as he faltered in his step. His wings snapped out and stabbed the ground, holding him in place as he began to grind his boots into the rock. He then raised his foot and transformed it into a fierce looking talon before stomping down. He did the same to his other foot and in conjunction with his wings pulled and stomped his way forward.

Wendy's eyes widened in shock when she saw this and put more force and power in her attack, the wail of the wind nearly drowning out her scream.

More rock was torn up from the ground but the demon pressed on, undeterred.

Wendy's knees began to shake as she felt her lungs running out of air. No matter how much force she put into her attack, it wasn't stopping the demon. The wind ceased as she fell to her knee's panting for breathe as she watched E.N.D fix his feet and continue to stalk forward.

"**You finished?"** E.N.D said as he raised the arm blade to be level with Wendy's neck.

"Wendy!" Grandeeney cried out as the girl let out a frightened whimper.

"N-Natsu…please…don't…" Wendy pleaded.

E.N.D only grinned his twisted grin and pulled his arm back to strike. He was stopped however, when an unexpected savior came to Wendy's aid…in the form an elderly woman with pink hair delivering a high kick to the side of E.N.D's head which sent said demon toppling end over end.

Porlyusica slid to a halt as she discarded her cape to reveal the blouse and skirt she wore beneath. She raised her one hand extended out in a combative stance as she glared at the demon.

"Don't you dare think of laying a finger on her." Porlyusica warned, "Possessed or not boy, no one threatens or hurts Wendy and gets away with it so long as I'm around."

"**Ah…"** E.N.D said in amusement as he rose back up, "**unless my eyes deceive me, I'm seeing not one but two Grandeeney's in front of me. Only this new one packs more bite than the other one."**

"You…" Grandeeney said as Porlyusica frowned slightly.

"It's nice to finally meet you," the aging medic said, "I wish it were under…better circumstances."

E.N.D suddenly bolted forward and Porlyusica took a defensive stance, ducking under E.N.D's straight punch and leaping up with a horizontal knee strike to E.N.D's jaw. She then back flipped, pivoted on her heel and struck E.N.D with a diagonal kick before following up with two snap punches and an open palm strike.

"I may be old," Porlyusica said, "but that doesn't mean I can't kick your ass."

E.N.D let out an amused cackle and began to disappear in a flurry of embers. Porlyusica began to look around in a cautious manner as she tried to guess where E.N.D would appear.

"Behind you!" Wendy cried out.

Porlyusica ducked just in time to only have a few strands of her hair cut off from her hair bun. Rolling away, Porlyusica watched as E.N.D's body reformed as the embers solidified. E.N.D snapped out his other hand with a hammerfist and punched through the ground as Porlyusica flipped back. E.N.D raced forward and did not let up on his attacks as Porlyusica dodged, blocked and parried E.N.D's strikes.

The fight was stopped when E.N.D was punched away from Porlyusica when Racer appeared onto the battlefield in a blur of motion and delivered a punishing right hook to E.N.D. Before the demon could recover, Racer used his Slowing Magic to strike E.N.D again and again.

"**Would***punch***kindly***punch*," E.N.D said as he was socked in the face, before lashing out with his claw, **"Piss off!"**

"What's the matter demon of Zeref," Racer asked as he came to a stop, "not so tough now that you're the one getting hit?"

"**Bite me."** E.N.D spat out.

"No thanks." Racer said with a smirk and sprinted forward again, striking E.N.D and making him growl in annoyance. Racer in turn spun around and darted back to E.N.D and raised his fist to strike. However at the last second, E.N.D sidestepped and snapped his arm out to the side, clotheslining Racer and knocking him down.

Racer gasped as his back hit the ground before crying out in pain when E.N.D planted his boot on his chest. E.N.D growled as he let a ball of fire form around his hand and aimed for Racer's head. Racer on the other hand let a smug smirk form on his lips. Before E.N.D could respond, his arm was cut off at the elbow and Racer was able to roll away to avoid E.N.D's lava blood.

"Porlyusica, get Wendy out of here; we'll handle E.N.D!" A new voice said.

"Got it!" The medic said as she quickly back peddled to the young dragon slayer.

"**The fuck?"** E.N.D asked as he raised up his arm, just as the black ichor reattached the two together.

"Vile creature," Erza said, dressed in her Flight Armor as she landed on the ground, her sword blade dripping with lave, "return Natsu to us this instant or face the wrath of Fairy Tail."

"**This again?"** E.N.D sighed, **"Can't you just give it up already? You're pal is gone; accept it."**

"Never." Erza hissed with a glare.

"**Then I think you know what's coming next?" **E.N.D said before looking over his shoulder, a sadistic grin forming on his maw.

From out of the woods and across the barren ground came the mages of Fairy Tail, Sabretooth, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel.

"**You guys are like cockroaches you know that right?"** E.N.D said, looking back to Erza, **"And I get to kill you all."**

"Go ahead and try." Erza hissed.

"**With pleasure."** E.N.D said as he charged the swordswoman and speed mage.

Despite being low on magic, Erza switched to her Heaven's Wheel Armor while Racer darted forward. To the speed mages surprise, E.N.D leapt over Racer and attacked Erza instead, slamming both his fists onto the ground and causing the ground to shatter and crack.

Erza jumped back and blocked a series of slashes from E.N.D's double arm blades when he darted forward. A series of blocks, parries and strikes ensued as the mage and demon locked blades. The two pushed against one another with E.N.D slowly gaining the upper hand. As strong as Erza was, she had been put through the wringer today and was not up to shape to handle the awakened demon.

"**What's the matter?"** E.N.D said**, "You were just talking tough a minute ago. And now I have you at a standstill."**

"Don't turn your back on me!" Racer called out as he sped for E.N.D.

To both Erza and Racer's horror, E.N.D turned his head all the way around-like an owl-as the bones in his neck made a series of sickening cracks. Grinning like a maniac, E.N.D fired off a laser blast from his eyes and struck the ground at the base of Racers feet, right as he was running forward. Losing his balance, Racer stumbled forward and was met by E.N.D's fist as he broke contact with Erza. The speed mage was sent tumbling back before coming to a stop yards away, unconscious.

Still holding his one arm against Erza, E.N.D turned back to the swordswoman as he raised his hand, readying a ball of flame to attack Erza.

"Get away from her!" Jellal said as he suddenly collided with E.N.D, his meteor spell activated. E.N.D was knocked back from the punch but quickly recovered, his boots sliding against the ground.

"Are you alright?" Jellal asked, inkling his head to Erza. He didn't have to use his sight to know where she was.

"Yes…thank you," Erza said, "Where are the others?"

"They're on the way or taking up attack positions." Erza said, "Makarov told us to keep him busy until he Laxus and Igneel think of something to knock E.N.D down for a bit."

"Easier said than done." Erza bit out as E.N.D raised his hand, a series of runes forming on his arm. A burst of flame formed in his hand to reveal what appeared to be a sawed-off, triple barreled shotgun…or what constituted as a gun considering the thing seemed to be made from a terrible combination of blackened metal, bleach white bone and metal chains that glowed a fiery red.

"**Fire Curse,"** E.N.D said, **"Hell's Scattergun." **

He then pointed the shotgun at Erza and Jellal and pulled the trigger. The gun barked as a tremendous blast of shrapnel, flames and sparks left the muzzle. Jellal and Erza quickly dropped to the ground as the shrapnel blew apart the ground behind them in a burst of flames. Jellal grabbed Erza and used his Meteor spell to put some distance between them and the demon as E.N.D opened fire with reckless abandon.

The flames licked at Jellal's heels as he jumped, ducked and zig-zaged his way across the open ground. But E.N.D didn't let up as he continued to shoot with near pin point accuracy. However, his tolerance for the two mages was quickly growing thin. He pointed the gun into the air and pulled the trigger three, sending the shrapnel into the air.

"**Fire Curse,"** E.N.D said as the shrapnel began to glow fiercely, **"Steel Rain."**

The shrapnel burst apart like fireworks and honed in on Jellal and Erza as they rained down like the curse suggested. The shrapnel burst apart around Jellal and Erza, cutting into them and stopping their evasion. E.N.D took aim once more and fired again, only for Erza to miraculously stand up and deflect the shrapnel with a deft swing of her sword.

E.N.D fired again and Erza deflected attack while Jellal retaliated with his Heavenly Beam spell. E.N.D shot two of the beams out of the air while the other five stuck him and blasted the gun out of his hand. Erza quickly summoned her Blumenblatt spell and lashed out at E.N.D, cutting into him as she sped past the demon. E.N.D fell to his knees as pieces of his armor flew of his body while his blood was spilled in all directions. With E.N.D incapacitated Jellal chose to strike.

"Heavenly Arrows!" Jellal said as he cast the arrows of light at the demon. As the arrows were launched, they quickly hardened and rather than blast E.N.D apart, they nailed him in place. If the demon was affected by the attack, he didn't show it; he continued to growl and glare at Jellal.

"True Heavenly Body Magic," Jellal said as he went through the necessary motions of the summoning the spell, "Sema!"

From within the swirling vortex Jellal had casted above E.N.D, a meteor of tremendous size suddenly appeared and plummeted from within the swirling mass of clouds; directly atop of E.N.D. There was a flash of light, a burst of air and pressure and brilliant explosion as the spell smashed itself down upon the demon.

When the light faded and dust settled, a large impact crater and mass of rubble was all that remained. Slowly rising, Jellal cautiously approached the crater as Erza did the same from her side. Reaching the center-the mass of rubble-the two halted when the rubble began to shake and the mages tensed in anticipation for another attack. From within the rubble, E.N.D's left hand flopped out-a terrible sight of shredded and burnt flesh and bone. Lava began to sizzle and hiss as it leaked from within the cracks of the stone.

"I think," Jellal said with a sigh of relief, "we got him."

Erza lowered her head and closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"Natsu…I'm so sorry…but we had no choice." Erza said.

The rubble suddenly burst apart as two large spikes shot out from within the stone. The attack was so sudden that neither Jellal nor Erza could evade the surprise attack. The spikes skewered them through their right shoulders, making the mages cry out in shock and agony as they were lifted off the ground.

Clutching at the spike that ran through her shoulder, Erza watched in horror as E.N.D slowly rose from like the living dead from a grave. He was torn and bloodied to the point that he barely looked recognizable or passed as human. Panting heavily as the dirt and rock slid away, E.N.D looked at his tattered left arm and proceeded to rip it off and toss it away like it was trash. The discarded limb immediately began to disintegrate while a new one quickly formed in its place. His muscle, skin and armor followed suite and in a matter of seconds, the demon had completely regenerated.

The spikes were now reveled to be E.N.D's wings which he had changed the shape of. His breathing was deep and ragged while his body quivered in unrestrained anger. The spikes bent so that Erza and Jellal hung in front of E.N.D who grabbed them by their throats and pry the spikes out of the mages.

"**That…"** E.N.D hissed, "**Was quite possibly, the stupidest thing you could do to me."**

E.N.D increased the strength of his grip around Jellal and Erza's necks, making them gasp for air.

"**You honestly think your petty spells will have any effect on me? Me!? The strongest of all of Zeref's demons!?"**

E.N.D's maw turned down in deep frown as his eyes narrowed to the point that they were borderline slits; the iris's glowing a blazing red.

"**By the time I'm through with you two, you'll be screaming for death to take you from me."**

"Not today!" A voice said, accompanied by a bolt of lightning said as the bolt struck E.N.D between his shoulder blades.

"That voice," Erza wheezed as she pushed herself off the ground, "Laxus?"

An arc of lightening rapidly spun around E.N.D and the mages before another bolt lashed out and struck E.N.D in the eyes, making the demon clutch at the two organs as he stumbled back, raging in pain and uttering one profanity laced curse after the other.

Laxus quickly appeared from within the lightening, bandaged and breathing heavily.

"Laxus!" Erza said as the dragon slayer bent down and picked Jellal and Erza off the ground.

"We need to leave," Laxus said, "now!"

Before the two knew it, Laxus was carrying them along as he used his lightening magic to bolt across the ground and back to the other mages. He came to a stop atop a low rise in the ground, right next to Makarov.

"Got 'em." Laxus said as he sat down, panting heavily.

"Rest up now Laxus," Makarov, "you've done enough for now. The same goes for you two. Laxus, you're still sick and Erza, you and Jellal have serious injuries. See Porlyusica and Wendy now."

"W-what…" Erza said as she winced in pain, clutching her shoulder. Jellal ignored his own pain and moved to hold her hand.

"What about Natsu?" Erza asked as she looked back to small crater, hundreds of yards away.

"Leave him to me," Makarov said, "Igneel the Fire King and I have thought of an attack that should keep E.N.D down for the time being…now get going."

Reluctantly, the two mages complied and Makarov took a calming breath and looked to the sky.

"Skiadrum and Weisslogia recovered from their attacks and were able to grab Metalicana and Grandeeney. Everyone else is at a safe distance and ready." Mavis said as she walked up to Makarov, taking Laxus by surprise, "Are you sure about this?"

"There is no other choice. For Natsu's sake, in order to help him…we must hurt E.N.D to the point where he will be unable to fight us." Makarov said in resignation.

"If you feel that this the only option…then do what you must." Mavis said.

Makarov gave a solemn nod and then brought his hands up before him.

"This has been a dark day for all of us," Makarov spoke up, his voice echoing out across the silent plain, "we have lost much and suffered greatly at the hands of the Tartarus demons. And now, one of our own, has been turned against us…by the darkness we pledged to fight. E.N.D…spawn of Zeref and demon lord of Tartarus, you are indeed powerful…but this fight in which our blood and the blood of the young man you corrupted has been spilled, has come to an end. In order to vanquish you back to the darkness from which you were born and to return Natsu Dragneel to the light, I cast upon you the spell of judgment that is only reserved for an enemy such as you."

A ball of glowing light formed between Makarov's hands which grew brighter and brighter with each passing second.

"I cast upon you…" Makarov said as he clasped his hands together, causing the orb of light to condense and radiate in all directions.

Meanwhile-at that exact same moment- E.N.D's eyes had regenerated only to be treated to the sight of a circle and beams of light forming beneath his feet.

"**Oh hell, now what?"** E.N.D said.

"…Fairy Law!" Makarov said as the tolling of a bell was sounded while a ring of light-with the Fairy Tail emblem shining brightly in it-appeared above E.N.D. It then shrank in on itself and burst in a light more brilliant than a thousand suns combined.

XXXX

Lucy anxiously watched as Makarov cast the most powerful spell in the Fairy Tail arsenal. With trepidation, she watched past her arms as she shielded her eyes from the piercing light as it attacked the demon that had possessed Natsu.

"Fire King," Lucy heard Makarov call out, "now; strike now!"

From the sky above, a soft fiery glow burned through the clouds before they were split apart by a tremendous jet of flame.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Igneel bellowed from on high as he combined his fire with Fairy Law.

The glow of Fairy law increased with the added fire and the ground shuddered slightly beneath the feet of the mages.

"Lucy," Happy spoke up as he gently held to Lucy's leg, "is Natsu going to be okay? Is the monster in him gone now?"

As the light faded away and the wind subsided, Lucy gently picked the cat up, holding him close in a comforting manner.

"I don't know Happy." Lucy said, her tone uncertain, "I don't know."

"_Please…"_ Lucy thought, _"Please, let Natsu be alright…let him come back to us…"_

Squinting and covering her brow from the sunlight, Lucy focused on the spot where E.N.D had been. The ground was smooth but scorched and the heat shimmered in the air. And then she saw him…E.N.D.

"Oh no." Lucy whispered as her eyes began to widen.

E.N.D's body lay in a charred and broken heap. He looked like a charbroiled briquette that had been burned beyond recognition.

"Lucy…" Happy said as his voice cracked while tears threatened to spill from his eyes, "Is he…is he…is Natsu…"

But Lucy didn't answer. She could only stare in mute shock.

"Alright everyone." Makarov called out, his tine solemn but firm, "I want you all to form a perimeter around E.N.D. From there we will work on a binding spell that should-"

"**You think me defeated?"** A menacing and frighteningly familiar voice whispered in the wind.

A terrible chill filled the air as the wind suddenly picked up. Lucy's gaze snapped back to E.N.D's body which was slowly levitating off the ground. His body shook, twisted and audibly reassembled itself. His armor, skin and muscle began to stitch itself back together.

E.N.D was regenerating.

Despite the combined power of Fairy Law and Igneel the Fire King, E.N.D had survived the onslaught. And from the sound of his voice…he was livid.

With his body repaired, E.N.D found his boots back on the ground and his eyes focusing onto the humans. Eyes which had now turned blacker than night and dark magic smoking out of the sockets. E.N.D's killing aura began to radiate off of him and despite the distance, every mage and dragon present could feel the fury and malice that E.N.D was projecting.

"**You shouldn't have done that."** E.N.D said, **"Now…it's time to die."**

E.N.D raised his hand into the air as a series of runes appeared in the armor; carving themselves out of the skin and glowing a fierce blue. E.N.D then began to speak in an ancient tongue that had long since been forgotten; an incantation lost to time.

A quadruple layered series of rune and glyph filled circles appeared above his hand as he closed it into a fist. E.N.D bent his elbow, fist poised to strike and then proceeded to smash it down onto the ground.

The ground shuddered violently, knocking many off their feet and the ground bulged up beneath E.N.D's feet. A blast of compressed air radiated out from the impact and for a single moment, there was not sound.

All was quiet.

Then the ground split apart as fissures tore through the ground while large chunks of rock were upturned and forced from the ground. Then the ground began to collapse inwards as dust plumed up into the sky. Many of the mages found themselves tumbling down into the collapsing earth, only to be rescued at the last second by the ones who had quickly regained her senses.

Lucy for her part found herself up in the air thanks to Happy and his ability to fly. As the frightened exceed rapidly flapped his wings, Lucy felt her hands move to cover her mouth as a strangled gasp parted her lips.

From her vantage point, the ground looked like it had just been ripped apart by a bomb of immeasurable strength. The spirit mage could also see the others scramble to help one another while the dragons worked to dig themselves out of the earth.

"Oh…God…" Lucy choked out, "Oh…God…why…"

The dust at the center of the crater suddenly parted as E.N.D took the sky, faster than she had seen him before; his right hand still glowing with the four circles. Following the demon, Lucy watched in horror, as she saw his target…

Igneel.

The demon was moving too fast for the dragon to defend himself against. There was no stopping what was coming next.

E.N.D swept his wings back, increasing his speed as he cocked his fist back, and Igneel was locked into his sights. The demon slammed his fist into the dragon's midsection and for a split second, Igneel was still as his eyes widened in shock.

And then his left side along with his upper and lower torso, were ripped in half. Igneel's mouth opened in a silent cry of agony as his eyes rolled up into his head while he fell to the ground below.

"IGNEEL!" Lucy and Happy screamed in horror as the dragon hit the ground; his body cratering the ground beneath him.

Happy instantly flew down to meet the fallen dragon. Lucy felt tears streaming down her eyes as she felt Happy let her go when they reached the ground.

Igneel.

The dragon-the father-Natsu had been searching for, for so long now lay in an unmoving heap.

He had been brought down by the demon he failed to destroy all those ages ago.

He had been brought down by the demon that had possessed his son.

That had possessed Natsu.

It was a terrible thought that made Lucy burst into tears as she ran forth to the dragon.

Igneel couldn't die now. Not when Natsu was still in danger; not when his son needed him most.

"**I don't think so." **E.N.D's voice suddenly hissed and Lucy was startled to a stop when the demon materialized before her in cluster of burning embers. With two simple strides, E.N.D was before Lucy and had grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up and off the ground in the process.

"Lucy!" Happy cried out in panic.

E.N.D narrowed his eyes-eyes which had now turned back to their demonic black and red-as he let out a low growl.

"N-Natsu," Lucy gasped as she clutched at E.N.D's wrist with both her hands, "I-I know you're in there! I know you can hear me."

E.N.D tightened his grip on Lucy's neck.

"P-Please…f-fight h-him," Lucy pleaded, "P-Please…fight E.N.D!"

A searing white hot pain suddenly flooded her abdomen. It was a pain so intense that it instantly caused her to scream out in pain. Her legs began to tremble and kick while something warm and wet filled her mouth and spilled past her lips.

Something that tasted like copper.

Her eyes slowly moving down, Lucy saw what the warm liquid was.

It was blood…her blood.

And in her abdomen, E.N.D had pierced her through with his arm blade; his knuckles now covered in blood. E.N.D then swiftly twisted and ripped the blade from Lucy, causing her to cough up more blood and cry out in pain as E.N.D let her go and fall to the ground.

Falling in a heap and clutching at her bleeding abdomen, Lucy looked up at E.N.D through tear filled eyes.

"N-Na…Na…Natsu…" Lucy whispered.

E.N.D only growled and turned on his heel, his arm blade retracing back into his forearm.

"**Stupid girl."** And with those words, E.N.D flared his wings, took off into the air…and left Lucy to her fate.

XXXX

A/N: …Okay…so, yeah that happened. Dear lord, what have I done this time!?

Okay everyone, this took me a lot longer to crank out than I would have liked. I hope this chapter wasn't too "all over the place" because I know there was a lot going on it. But, I'm happy with how things turned out for this chapter…may yall have mercy on me.

And yes, the chapter title was a little misleading but I digress.

Okay, so here's what's going on. Next week I'll be heading back to college. I have a whole new set of classes for this semester so I'm not sure what the work load is going to be like. I'll still be writing but as to when I can update…I don't know. For now, expect me to keep it at the usual two week interval that I've been doing for all my other works. If I can stuff posted early, I will. Until then, I hope you guys will bear with me and be patient with this story like you have before. That's all that I ask.

The next story to be updated will be Vendetta and after that Kids: Knight's Tale…so there's some stuff to look forward too!

Next time; CHAPTER 4: Time of Dying

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review, happy reading and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	4. Chapter 4: Time of Dying

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back to this angst riddled story. The pain isn't over yet so strap yourselfers in for another wild ride.

On a more personal level, I have another reason as to why there was a delay in writing. I had started this chapter last week but the week itself quickly turned into one of the shittiest weeks that I have ever had in a long, long time. I'm not going to tell much but I had a personal matter that left me both depressed and angry for a bit and it all just took a lot out of me. I sincerely apologize to you guys, the people who like my writing and enjoy my stories, for letting my personal drama affect my work. I am currently on the way back to my old self thanks to the love and support of my family and the best of friends.

So, FT chapter 416 turned out way different than I was expecting and 418 and 419 were two chapters I was eagerly looking forward to. A lot can happen in a year so I'm eager to see how things play out from here. And of course Natsu was confirmed to be E.N.D so I feel happy that this story has some valediction to it. Not a lot…but just enough.

Last chapter ended on a cliffhanger (yes, I pulled that stunt to wondrous effect yet again!). Igneel is now K.I.A and Lucy is bleeding out while E.N.D once again focuses his anger against the remaining dragons and the assembled mages as the final battle ensues. Also expect Gray and E.N.D to duke it out with one another and my theory on how Zeref came into contact with Natsu.

How this plays out will be left for you to discover, but for now, let's turn our attention to those who reviewed:

_**-ftx777x:**_ Hello and welcome to the story. In terms of this story, the despair will only go on for a little bit more. As for the Fairy Tail manga…well, one never truly knows until it suddenly smacks you in the face.

_**-LRCN:**_ Hello, here is the next chapter; sorry for the wait!

_**-EclipiticChaos:**_ Hi there, glad to know you are enjoying the story so far.

_**-MixtyEmotion3:**_ Hello there, I take it from the review that you are enjoying the drama thus far?

_**-dragonball256:**_ Hello there and welcome back to the story. Sorry to break your heart like that but it had to be done…and because I'm twisted like that X) Yes, Lucy seems to be in a bit of a pinch at the moment, but what happens to her, I am not at liberty to say…just yet of course. Glad to know you like the suspense, it certainly raises the stakes when it comes to stuff like this.

_**-Gh0st's buddy:**_ Hello and welcome back! Glad to know the tension kept you on edge.

_**-Carebear90:**_ Hello there, glad to know you like the story so far; thank you for being patient, here is the next chapter.

_**-brooke0315:**_ Hello and welcome back! I am back in college now and have a full schedule. My classes are taking some getting used to but they're not that bad at all. Here is the chapter, sorry for the delay!

_**-Dark Shining Light: **_Hello and as always, welcome back! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, especially since it kept you hanging on every word. Sorry for making you wait for this chapter but if you thought last time was intense, wait until you read this. As for your questions, well…I think I was able to answer them. But you'll have to read on to find out what happens X)

_**-Black Night Wolf: **_Hello and welcome to the story. In regards to your previous reviews, I am glad to know that you are enjoying the story so far. Yes, Mard and Acnologia are dead now (in this story at least) and Zeref's fate shall be revealed in this chapter. In regards to the cliffhanger, well what can I say, I enjoy using them far too much! Yes, Igneel and Lucy are both down and this chapter will get worse before it is over.

_**-owlcity2013: **_Hello and welcome to the story. I take it from your review that you are liking the story so far? X)

_**-DarkDragonGirl4: **_Hello and welcome to the story, glad you are enjoying it so far. As I've said before, I love my cliffhangers…and because I enjoy making my reader's squirm (not really, I just like keeping the tension real, you know what I mean?).

_**-nanami-shihouin18: **_Hello and welcome to the story, glad you are liking it so far!

_**-jbadillodavila: **_Hello and welcome to the story. Yes, poor Lucy indeed! I'm such an evil bastard aren't I? X)

-_**HazelDragonNora: **_Hello and welcome to the story; I'm glad you are enjoying it so far. To answer your question, yes, Natsu is still in END's head-just like you guessed. He wasn't randomly tossed aside; far from it. END is simply suppressing Natsu's presence and keeping him locked away in the darkest corner of his mind. Does that clarify things for you?

Now that those have been taken care of, let's proceed onto the much anticipated chapter!

XXXX

CHAPTER 4: Time of Dying

XXXX

Life and death.

Two forces as old as creation itself.

Forever intertwined in a continuous cycle that is subtle yet ever present in the time that serves as our existence in this life.

How both forces work, one may truly never know.

Sure, life can be chalked up as a series of cells merging and growing together to form a living being or organism while death is simply when the spark of life fades away; whether it be a long and happy life or a traumatic, sudden death. Our time is up as we have come to put it.

That is how we perceive, the forces of life and death; time. We wither make the most of our life before our clocks stop ticking.

But in the grand scheme of things, life and death is as a mystery as it is to the other. Why are we brought into this world? Why do we die after so long or little a time? And what would happen if we found a way to extend the time on our clocks?

To life not just a few extra days and weeks. Not months, no, but years-decades, generations even!

The perceived notion of immortality. Of staying the way you are until the end of time itself. It is something that many have dreamed about; desired and searched for even. A way to prevent time from catching up with us.

But as the old saying goes, "time stops for no man." Nor does death; the ever patient, silent reaper simply watching from the shadows, idly biding its time.

The sad and cruel truth of the matter is that time can be a curse.

One would think, that if a way to live forever, that they would be secure and content in the fact that they would never have to fear death again.

But then, while you remain young and healthy, those closest to you grow old, wither and die. Everyone you have come to love disappears from your life. The world around you moves on and changes while you stay the same. It is a cycle you are forced to watch…knowing that no matter where you go, that no matter how much time passes, you are irrevocably and absolutely; alone.

Knowing this…what would you do?

Would you fall into a depression, never to come out of the grave you dug for yourself; forever trapped in an exile of loneliness and despair?

Would you go insane at the sudden realization that you can never die-that you will be stuck the way you are, never to change?

Or would you try to make the best of the situation. Would you move to new places, meet new people and form new bonds-no matter how short they may be?

In all honesty, there is no real answer but only one real, absolute truth to these questions. At some point, at some time, you find yourself longing for death to claim you. The one thing you feared and thought you could escape suddenly becomes a very, very appealing thought.

An end to the memories, choices and consequences that have followed you throughout your unnaturally long life.

A chance to pass on, be purified of all sin and start anew in the next life.

…

For one man, who had lived far longer than he should have, his curse-which had plagued him day after day, night after night, and year after each achingly long year-was about to come to an abrupt end.

After so long of waiting, searching and hoping, he was about to finally pass on from an existence he had long since come to hate.

His name was Zeref.

And after four hundred years of living, his clock was coming down to its final moments.

His time of dying was at hand.

And he was prepared to welcome it with open arms…for he would not wait a second longer. The end was coming, he could feel it in his bones. From his spot on a nearby outcropping of rocks, Zeref watched the carnage unfold.

Yes, he mused, it wouldn't be long now. With that thought in mind, Zeref descended from his spot to the ground below and began to walk to the battlefield at a languid pace.

It wouldn't be long now indeed.

XXXX

"Lucy!" A distant voice called out, piercing the haze that filled her mind and eyes.

"Lucy!" The voice called out again, this time accompanied by her shoulder being shaken in a blind panic.

"Lucy get up!" The voice called, becoming clearer, "Lucy please get up!"

She knew this voice, knew who it belonged to.

"H-Happy?" Lucy croaked as she opened her eyes and focused on the blue, winged cat before her.

There were tears streaming from his wide, panicked eyes as his head snapped to her at the sound of her weak voice.

"Lucy!" Happy cried out in relief.

"W-What…" the spirit mage said as she struggled to push herself up off the ground, "W-What happened? Where…where is Natsu?"

"E.N.D made Natsu attack you," Happy said as he came to his friend's aid, "and then he flew off back to the others!"

The sudden taste of copper flooded her mouth and Lucy quickly found herself coughing up blood, her hand flying to her mouth in a muffled cry of pain as she collapsed onto her side. Weakly looking to the pain that filled her side, Lucy was treated to the sight of a large, ragged gash in her abdomen.

Where E.N.D hand run her through with his blade.

A pool of her own blood was slowly starting to fill beneath her as the life giving liquid ran down her front and back. Lucy immediately placed a trembling hand on the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

"You're hurt," Happy gasped before making his wings pop out again, "don't worry Lucy, I'll get you to Wendy and she'll fix you as good as new."

Happy grabbed Lucy beneath her arms and began to lift her up.

"And then…then after your all healed, we'll come back and help Igneel and Natsu!"

"H-happy…" Lucy said with a week smile before she suddenly began to spasm in pain. Clutching her wound, Lucy clenched her eyes shut and ground her teeth as another cry threatened to leave her lips. Blood seeped past her tightly pressed fingers.

"Down!" Lucy cried, "Put me down!"

Happy immediately complied and laid Lucy back down on her side. She coughed again, and more blood was lost.

"What do I do?!" Happy whimpered as he pulled at his ears, his blood coated paws staining his fur.

"If I move you you'll…and if I don't…" Happy sobbed before quickly taking to the air once again, "Lucy, I'll be right back! I'm going to get help so just hang on okay?!"

He then began to fly off to where the mages were, the sounds of battle already piercing the air.

"I promise I'll be back!" Happy called out.

Lucy watched her furry friend fly off as fast as his wings would allow him to fly. She whimpered then, as two tears ran down her face.

How had it come to this?

How had things gone so horribly wrong in just the span of a few hours?

And why…why did it have to be Natsu!

Why was he being forced to be forced into causing all of this torment!?

"Natsu…" A pained, tired voice rumbled, "Natsu…"

Lucy rose her head from off the ground as she looked to the source of the voice. She was rewarded with the sight of a dragon who was not very long for the world of the living.

Igneel the Fire King lay bloodied and torn apart in a small impact crater just a few meters from Lucy. His breathing was almost nonexistent yet he somehow managed to take in labored breaths as his eyes slowly began to close.

"Natsu…I'm…sorry," Igneel whispered, "I...I…I should have…told you…"

"Igneel," Lucy said, as she slowly began to reach her hand out to the dragon who was so close yet so far.

"Hang in there…" Lucy said, "You have to hold on just for a while longer; Natsu still needs you!"

"Natsu…" Igneel whispered again, giving no indication that he had heard Lucy, "there are…so many things…I wanted to tell you…do with you…"

Ingeel's eyes began to close and a single tear fell from his eye.

"I…I failed you…I failed you…I'm so sorry," Igneel said, "Please forgive me."

"Igneel!" Lucy cried out desperately, almost doubling over in pain.

A shuddering breath left the dragon. And with that final loss of air, Igneel the Fire King-Natsu's beloved adoptive father-was dead.

"No!" Lucy sobbed, "No, no, please no!"

"You can't die; you can't! Natsu still needs you…he's been looking for you for so long! You can't just leave him like this!"

But the dragon was unresponsive. And Lucy knew that his life had left him. Lucy began to weep then, a pained series of cries and sobs as she lowered her head to the ground.

Natsu and Igneel had just finally found each other…only to be torn apart once more; never to see the other again.

How…how was she going to tell him? How was she going to tell Natsu that Ingeel was gone? And worse, how was she going to explain that the demon possessing him was the one that made him kill Igneel.

It wasn't right.

It wasn't fair.

And heartbreaking didn't even come close to describing the turmoil she felt in her already crumbling heart.

"Natsu," Lucy sobbed, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry."

And then she passed out once again.

XXXX

With a series of coughs, grunts, and a plume of dust, Gray used his ice magic to shove off the slab of rock that had nearly buried him and Juvia. Helping Juvia stand and taking her by the hand, the mages surveyed the assault they had just survived.

"Holy mother of god." Gray whispered in disbelief, while Juvia brought her hand up to cover her mouth.

"What the hell was that?" Gray said before the sound of falling rocks caught his attention. Turning around, they saw Grandeeney carefully lumber across the rubble to the mages.

"That was Earth Breaker." Grandeeney said as the dragon extended a feathered wing for Gray and Juiva to climb on to.

"One of E.N.D's most powerful curses. It destroys anything it touches with devastating results as you have seen."

The dragon crawled out of the crater to the still intact flatland where the mages and dragons had gathered. All had survived but many had been injured or were in shock at what they had just witnessed.

"Gray, Juvia!" Levy, accompanied by Gajeel, called out as the mages slid down Grandeeney's wing, "Thank god you're alright!"

"Levy-chan!" Juvia said as she ran up to the petite girl and brought her into a fierce hug.

"Juvia thought you were lost in the collapse, Juvia is so happy to see you unharmed."

"Likewise." Gray added before nodding to Gajeel.

"Juvia, Gray," Levy said as she pulled back, "where's Lucy and Igneel…I…I haven't seen them."

The ice and water mage paused before casting nervous glances to one another.

"I…I don't know." Gray replied, "I think she was with Happy and I know for a fact Igneel was up in the air when E.N.D attacked again."

"I saw Happy grab Lucy just as the ground began to give out." Mirajane said as she approached the mages with a slight limp in her step.

"After that, I don't know. And as for Igneel-" Mirajane said.

"He's dead." Skiadrum said, cutting Mirajane off, "E.N.D attacked him shortly after he had dealt with us. He used Earth Breaker on Igneel and…he fell."

"WHAT!?" Levy and Gray cried out, turning to the shadow dragon while the others voiced similar forms of shock or gasped in disbelief.

"…I felt his life force fade away just a few moments ago." Skiadrum said before looking to his fellow dragons.

"We all did."

Weisslogia and Grandeeney could only lower their heads in grief, the latter failing to muffle a sob that escaped her lips.

"DAMNIT!" Metalicana, roared as he stomped his front claw down, "That demon son of a bitch made Igneel's own brat turn against him!"

"No…" Levy said, as she clutched her hands to her chest, "No…no…Natsu… he was looking for Igneel and…and oh god no…"

"Wait," Yukino spoke up, "if Igneel went down…do you think Lucy tried to get to him?"

The mages paused before an overwhelming sense of fear and dread overcame them.

"Oh my god." Gajeel whispered.

"We have to find Lucy and Happy; _now!_" Gray said, drawing the attention of his fellow mages.

"_**Leaving so soon?"**_ A menacing voice called out in an amused tone.

A dark figure suddenly fell from the sky, landing in a crouch a few meters away from the rag tag group of mages and dragons.

"**Aw man,"** E.N.D said as he rose, the ground cracking slightly beneath his feet**, "and just when things were starting to get interesting too."**

"You!" Gray whispered in shock as he moved in front of Juvia to protect her, with Gajeel doing the same for Levy.

"**For a group of humans you are annoyingly hard to kill,"** E.N.D said as he walked forward, nonchalantly brushing the dust off his shoulder, **"same goes for the lizards too."**

"You bastard," Metalicana hissed, "you killed Igneel; you made his own son kill his father!"

"**That's what you get for turning me into a carbonized heap of bones,"** E.N.D sneered before letting out cackle of amusement; a horrible sound in its own right.

"**As for the brat, I can't understand why you think he is still in control; has any control for that matter."**

E.N.D's maw turned up in a vile sneer while his eyes flashed with what could only be called insanity. He then put his finger to his temple as if he was holding a gun to his head.

"**Natsu Dragneel is dead, all that remains now is E.N.D."** The demon sneered.

"I don't believe that!" Gray snapped, "I refuse to believe Natsu is dead!"

"**That's what blondie thought and look where it got her."** E.N.D said.

"Blondie?" Levy said before her body went rigid, "Lucy…What have you done to her?"

E.N.D looked to the word mage and his eyes narrowed in amusement.

"What did you do to her?" Levy said as her tone became more strained, more frightened, "What did you do to Lucy!?"

E.N.D raised his right hand, clenched in a fist, as a liquid slowly ran down his arm from his knuckles and dripped off his elbow. Gajeel and the dragons immediately smelled the distinct aroma of blood and tasted the coppery tang in the air. The red liquid formed small, blotchy stains in the ground where they landed.

"**You should have seen the look on her face."** E.N.D said.

Those nine simple words told Levy all she needed to know. The petite mages hands flew up her mouth as a garbled scream broke past her lips. Her legs gave out from under her and she fell to her knees.

The dragons recoiled in horror at the statement while Gray stood stock still, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Lucy…Lucy…" Juvia said, her voice hoarse as tears flowed from her eyes.

"**First the brat…then the lizard,"** E.N.D said, **"and now blondie. It's a pity you humans and dragons die so easily, or I might get a sense of satisfaction."**

And then the demon began to laugh again. It started out as a low rumble in chest before his maw opened as he began to cackle in sadistic glee.

"You…" Levy hissed as her body trembled in fury, "you…you…YOU FUCKING ANIMAL!"

Levy rose to her feet and with a cry of sorrow and unbridled anger, cast forth her fire spell to blast E.N.D in a ball of blue flame. Levy continued to scream as she cast the spell over and over again as tears spilled from her eyes.

E.N.D's wings snapped out and instantly dispelled the fire while two quick swipes from the appendages deflected the other attacks.

"**I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve?"** E.N.D taunted.

"S-She l-loved h-him," Levy said as her voice quivered in anger, "a-and you…you turned Natsu against her!"

The demon only smirked, continuing to taunt Levy silently and further enraging the script mage.

"Oi," Gajeel growled lowly, as his skin began to harden while shadows began to drift off his body; his eyes changing color from red to brilliant blue.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's wrong to disrespect a woman?"

E.N.D didn't answer. He opted instead to crack his neck and knuckles. He knew what was coming next.

"Even if I half to beat you within an inch of your life," Gajeel said, "I'll pry salamander out of you and then rip you to shreds."

"**You're welcome to try…scrap for brains."** E.N.D replied.

It was then that Metalicana stomped his front foot down and opened the new assault on E.N.D with his Iron Dragon's Roar. E.N.D raised his arms and folded his wings in front of him to absorb as much as the attack as he could. The dragon's attack blasted him back as the soles of his boots slid against the ground with high pitched screeching of rubber and leather. The attack slammed E.N.D directly into a large portion of the ground that had been upturned. Even as the rock crumbled around him, the demon emerged from the dust and smoke as the skin on his wings slowly began to stitch itself back together.

"Iron Shaodw Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel cried out as he leapt upon E.N.D from on high.

Slightly averting his eyes up to Gajeel, E.N.D simply raised his arm and let the chainsaw style blade connect with his forearm as a flurry of sparks erupted from the blade as it connected with E.N.D's natural body armor.

E.N.D pulled his arm back but just as quickly pushed forward, giving him leverage to knock Gajeel away with a simple snap kick. Gajeel grunted as he was shoved back but did a quick back flip and landed in a crouch.

"**Two can play this game."** E.N.D said as he raised both his arms and let two arm blades form. Unlike his previous blades, the blades extended out from his elbows and ran along the length of his forearm's and past his wrists. A series of small, triangular points jutted out from the blades before they began to move up and down in a manner similar to that off a reciprocating saw.

E.N.D dashed forward and Gajeel sprung up to meet the demon as their saw blades met in another shower of sparks. The demon and the dragon pushed against one another as their heel's dug into the earth. Using his free arm, Gajeel used the fact that both of E.N.D's arms were occupied to his advantage.

"Iron Shadow Dragon's Hard Fist!" Gajeel said and promptly gut punched E.N.D with enough force that it lifted him off his feet, broke his attack and made his eyes bulge out in shock.

With E.N.D still in the air, Gajeel smashed his elbow down upon the back of the demons head and caused him to collide with his raised knee. Stunned, E.N.D was open as Gajeel delivered two quick slashes with his sword before spin kicking E.N.D and making him flip in the air.

But the demon quickly recovered and snapped out his wings to slow his movement while digging his blades into the ground to slow himself down.

"**Not bad little dragon,"** E.N.D said, **"not bad at all."**

E.N.D's eyes began to glow a fierce red and Gajeel immediately knew what was coming next.

"**But you're still going to have to do better than that." **E.N.D said as he retaliated with a quick burst of his optical laser.

Gajeel raised his sword just in time to block the attack but it nearly melted the blade in the process, causing Gajeel to cry out in pain as his arm reverted back to its natural form. But by then, E.N.D had flared his wings and had crossed the distance between him and Gajeel in no time. E.N.D reversed his swings so that his legs swooped up and kicked Gajeel right on his jaw, sending him into the air only for E.N.D to immediately catch up with him and palm strike him back to the ground.

Hitting the hardened earth, Gajeel bounced off it once and then twice-each time punctuated by a pained gasp- before landing on his back. Rising on shaking legs, Gajeel felt a white hot pain explode across his back as E.N.D appeared behind him and cut him with his arm saw.

The attack was delivered with enough force that it spun Gajeel around. Before he could so much as scream, E.N.D used both his arms to cut and slash at Gajeel until his chest, shoulders, arms and torso were covered in shallow but profusely bleeding gashes. He was about to fall to his knee's too when E.N.D snapped his arm out and effortlessly lifted him up by the neck.

He then leveled his left blade with Gajeel's stomach.

"**Any last words before I eviscerate you?"** E.N.D asked in sadistic glee.

"…F-Fuck you." Gajeel rasped.

"Solid Script: Iron!" A voice called out as word "Iron" literally slammed into the side of E.N.D's head, knocking him off balance and releasing Gajeel. The incantation was repeated twice and the "Iron" smashed E.N.D in the face, audibly breaking his nose and forcing him back further.

As the eyes rolled around in the demons head, Levy slid to a halt in front of Gajeel-accompanied by Jet and Droy-ready to do battle with E.N.D as her fellow mages followed behind her.

"L-Levy…?" Gajeel said as he braced himself against the ground with his palms, looking up at the script mage with a pained and surprised look.

"That thing," Levy said through clenched teeth, "took Natsu and Lucy away from us…I refuse to let him do the same to you!"

Levy took a shuddering breathe as she rapidly flexed her hands.

"I…I still have so much to say to you…so much I want to do with you…I refuse to let what we have end here."

Levy then looked to Jet and Droy.

"Get him back to the others," Levy said, "find Porlyusica."

"Are you sure?" Jet asked, concern written in the frown on his face.

"Go…please." Levy said with a pleading look.

Jet and Droy could only nod as they lifted the protesting dragon slayers arms over their shoulders.

"Let's go." Jet said to Droy as the two friends went back the way they came.

"Don't you dare die on me!" Gajeel called out, "You hear!? I'm not losing you too!"

Levy could only nod as she did her best to soothe her nerves with a calming breathe. It helped…but only a little.

E.N.D, having regained his senses, simply turned his eyes to Levy as he arched an eye brow while snapping his nose back in place.

"**Ah…so the teeny tiny mage finally decides to show her claws. Valiant…but unbelievably stupid of you to do such a thing."**

"I won't let you take Gajeel or anyone else away from _me_," Levy hissed, "not now nor ever!"

E.N.D raised his arm and pointed his index and middle finger at the script mage.

"**Burn."** Was all the demon said as he casted a jet of molten hot flame at Levy.

"Solid Script: Guard!" Levy said as the barrier instantly shielded her from the fire, "Solid Script: Water!"

The barrier instantly changed shape to that of brilliant, sparkling clear water which caused the fire to turn into steam before a vortex of water shot out, extinguished the jet of fire and doused it at its source. E.N.D was quickly dripping from head to toe in ice cold water that immediately began to evaporate off his skin. He looked at his hand to where the fire had been and then to Levy.

"**You're really starting to piss me off, you know that right?"** E.N.D said with an irritated sigh.

Levy simply narrowed her eyes and glared at E.N.D.

"I'm just getting started," Levy hissed, "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done to Natsu and Lucy."

"**You're starting to sound like a broken record," **E.N.D said as he ran a hand through his hair before pinching his brow, **"you and the rest of gnats."**

"Is that all humans are to you?" Levy asked, "You, who takes over a human and looks down on the rest of us?"

E.N.D cackled at this and shook his head in amusement.

"**You understand so, so very little about what I am."** E.N.D said, **"The brat and I were fated to be brought together by Lord Zeref himself; the boy's fate was sealed then and there, he ceased being human at that moment…he was just too stupid or ignorant to recognize it.**

"**As for you humans in general…the brat wasn't the first to be my host. In fact, if he's still aware of what's going on, he should feel honored that I'm in control now. I've given him power beyond imagination, made him invincible to magic's that would normally kill him. He should feel honored…for he and I are going to end Zeref…and return to him in turn. Compared to me, you humans truly are insects for me to step on…and that's all you'll ever be. In the face of a true demon all I have to do is snap my fingers-"**

E.N.D did just that as his hand lurched up, aimed at Levy.

_SNAP_

"**-And you die."**

The ground in front of Levy began to crack and glow like that of the crust of a volcano. The action was quick and before Levy could react, the ground burst apart in an explosion of fire; completely engulfing Levy.

"LEVY!" Gajeel screamed, "NO!"

"**Stupid girl."** cackled as the fire faded…and revealed something he wasn't expecting.

"**Huh?"** E.N.D said as Levy was revealed to be engulfed not if fire-and resembling a carbonized skeleton-but a large mass of water which was now steaming from the heat.

The water burst apart onto the heated ground, making it sizzle and steam before the water began to congeal and take on the shape of a curvaceous young woman…who glared darkly at E.N.D as her hands shook.

"Thanks Juvia," Levy said as the water mage gave a curt nod of her head, "one more second and I would've been toast."

E.N.D let out a mental whistle and cocked his head, eyes narrowed, in amusement.

"_I can feel that girl's killing intent from here,"_ E.N.D thought, _"and from that look she's giving me, she must be pissed…this is going to be fun."_

"Levy-chan," Juvia spoke up, "I think it's about time that this thing is put in its place. Care to help Juvia ensure this happens?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Levy said as she readied to cast another spell.

"Let's take this thing down." Juvia said as she cut lose with her water slicer spell.

E.N.D let the blades of water cut into him, not even flinching as deep gouges were torn into his armored skin. E.N.D raised his hands, palms up as fire danced on his hands.

"**Curse Magic,"** E.N.D said, **"Fire Storm."**

Multiple balls of flame were fired from E.N.D's hands as they arced high into the air before raining down onto Levy and Juvia.

"Solid Script: Guard!" Levy countered as she threw a shield up around her and Juvia while letting Juvia's magic phase through her spell to strike at E.N.D and his attacks.

The fire balls that Juvia managed to hit were instantly extinguished but those that she missed hit the ground and burst apart in quick explosions that sent molten rock flying in all directions. A few managed to land behind the mages and it took some quick thinking in Juvia's part to throw up a shield of water to intercept the heated shrapnel.

The sound of the metallic clicking of a guns hammer drew the girl's attention to see that E.N.D had summoned not one but two of his scatterguns-like the one he had made before. Dual wielding both firearms, E.N.D opened fire, intent on using the cursed weapons to break Levy's defenses.

The shield guarding flared brightly as the cursed shards of shrapnel and buckshot bounced off or shattered against Levy's spell; a spell that grew weaker with each second due to the constant barrage of demonic lead.

"My shield won't hold forever!" Levy said as she looked to Juvia, "We have to think of something!"

Juvia bit her lip in thought while flinching at the sound of the shield cracking. Looking around, Juvia noticed that the water Levy had used to douse E.N.D from before had not completely evaporated just yet. A ring of water still lay around E.N.D in a perfect circle; apparently his body heat only generated to a certain radius.

But, the water ring gave her the spark to a sorely needed idea.

"Levy-chan, can you still perform your thunder spell!?" Juvia asked as a section of the shield crumbled away.

"Yes; why?!" Levy replied.

"Wait for Juvia's signal!" Juvia said as she snapped her hand out, "Water Lock!"

The bubble of water instantly formed from the ring around E.N.D and engulfed the demon in its large bubble. Slowly looking at the bubble and then to Juvia with narrowed eyes, E.N.D hissed as bubbles seeped past his maw while the water itself began to bubble as E.N.D raised his body temperature.

"Don't think you can evaporate that spell like the other ones," Juvia hissed with a triumphant smirk, "now stay still. Juvia has you just where she wants you; water cyclone!"

The water lock instantly burst apart into a swirling vortex of water that twirled up into the air; taking E.N.D along with it for the ride.

"Levy-chan now!" Juvia cried and Levy, having understood the meaning to Juvia's previous question, snapped her hands out and cast her "Solid Script: Thunder" spell.

The bolt of lightning hit the water and with a flash of light, the water conducted the electricity and instantly electrocuted E.N.D at levels that would have killed any normal person. As the water spell dispersed, E.N.D plummeted to the ground where he began to violently contort and convulse as the electricity arced its way through his body.

"Yes!" Levy cried, "We got him; nice work Juvia!"

"Juvia is pleased to see that monster in pain," Juvia sneered, "after what it's done to us and our friends to day…Juvia can't help but enjoy seeing it like this."

"…I forgot how twisted you can be sometimes." Levy said with a small sweat drop while Juvia simply shrugged.

E.N.D's body suddenly stilled, catching the attention of the mages, and to their utter shock and horror, he began to rise back onto his feet.

"B-But…but…how?" Levy whispered as she felt a sudden chill run up her spine.

"Impossible," Juvia whispered, involuntarily taking a step back. "That much water and electricity should've fried it to death."

E.N.D began to laugh again. It started out as a low chuckle but quickly built itself up and into a hearty set of roars. E.N.D raised his right hand and looked to the mages with wild and crazed eyes. The electricity that had apparently been ravaging the demons body now arced and formed around his hand and forearm before it changed color from a vibrant yellow glow to an eerie, neon blue.

"**It'll take more than a little shock to the system to knock me down!"** E.N.D said, his tone once again that of amusement, **"Thanks for the new power girls!"**

E.N.D then snapped his hand out, fingers flared and aimed at Levy and Juvia.

"…No." Levy and Juvia both whispered as their eyes widened and bodies froze in complete terror.

"**Care to help me test it out?!"** E.N.D said…and then fired off a wild, arcing bolt of lightning that rapidly closed in on the girls, leaving them no time to react.

The crackling bolt of pure electricity struck Juvia first, causing the water mage to scream out in agony as the lightning turned her own element against her. The second the bolt had struck Juvia, it used her as a conductor to lash out at Levy, earning a similar scream from the script mage.

They fell to the ground as their bodies convulsed spastically while their screams persisted. For both mages, it was the worst pain either had experienced in their entire lives thus far. The sound of boots scrapping against stone made Levy look up past her pain just in time to see E.N.D waltz up to Juvia and kick her away from Levy.

The water mage still shook even as the electrical attack died down.

"**This, my dear, is why I consider you humans to be nothing more than insects." **E.N.D spoke as he looked over his shoulder to Levy. His maw was curved in a slight grin but his eyes were narrowed and shined with a gleam of both insanity and annoyance.

"**You thought you could fight a demon of my caliber, that your pathetic excuses for spell and magic would honestly harm me. Well take a look sister, it didn't do jack shit and you only wound up hurting both yourself and your friend."**

E.N.D turned to Levy and moved her onto her back with a simple flick of his foot.

"**Pathetic."** E.N.D said.

And then smashed his boot onto Levy's stomach, making her gasp in pain as blood instantly shot from her opened mouth. Her body immediately curled up and contorted in pain while E.N.D ground his heel into the mage, making her whimper and gasp for air.

"**Absolutely pathetic."** E.N.D said as he moved his foot from Levy and made his arm blade form.

"**This farce of a battle, you mages trying to fight me…it's all so fucking pathetic."**

The demon kneeled down and pulled his arm back, ready to strike. But just as quickly as E.N.D had performed the motion, the sound of tearing flesh and a sudden pain in his arm drew his attention from Levy. He looked to his arm to see that it was no longer attached at the elbow…courtesy of an arrow made from ice blasting it off.

E.N.D expected his arm to reattach itself but when it didn't, he knew something was wrong. Ice suddenly formed on the severed portions of the arm and immediately solidified at an alarming rate.

"**WHAT!?"** E.N.D said in alarm as he rose from his crouch, grasping at the wound, **"MY ARM!"**

And then the pain burst forth. It wasn't the fact that his arm had been severed, no, it was the magic of the ice that had caused it.

It felt different from the other magic's he had faced. It felt…purifying, in a way. It was this sensation that made E.N.D realize the exact magic being used.

"**This magic," **E.N.D as he turned in the direction from where the arrow had come from, **"I know this magic."**

"**Devil Slayer Magic,"** E.N.D hissed, **"I might have known."**

"So there is something after all that can harm you." Gray said, crouched next to Juvia as the venom practically dripped from his voice. He dispelled his ice bow and protectively brought the water mage into his arms.

"Good…I can now fight you on equal terms." Gray hissed as Juvia whimpered again, making Gray hold her closer.

"**Your arrogance blinds you."** E.N.D said as he began to melt the ice on his arm. The ice and its powerful anti-demon magic's would pose a problem in negating his healing factor. He had to be careful around this human.

"**I can sense that this magic is new to you…and that you don't have complete mastery over it just yet."**

"I know enough to make you stop healing," Gray countered, "and if I can strike you enough times, I'll be able to take you down; permanently."

"**Is that so? What about Natsu; won't you be killing him to if you kill me?"** E.N.D sneered.

"Don't you dare speak his name!" Gray snarled, "You have no right!"

"**What's the matter," **E.N.D continued undeterred, "**didn't you say that you wanted to destroy me; to destroy E.N.D? So that you could avenge your beloved father? But now you wish to destroy me to save your friend. HA! In doing so, you'd kill both me and Natsu, thus making you the world's biggest fucking hypocrite!"**

"How do you know that?" Gray hissed, his jaw clenched and eyes wide in anger.

"**Oh, let's just say you "learn" a thing or two after being cooped up in the brat's head for a bit."** E.N.D said as he tapped the back of his head with his good arm before pointing to Gray.

"**So, the point remains, if you kill me…your friend dies. There's no other way, no matter how hard you try."**

"Bullshit." Gray snapped, "There always a way; there always will be a way! Even if I have to cut you to ribbons, I'll find a way to save Natsu and send you back to hell where you belong!"

The ice on E.N.D's arm finally broke away and the black ichor immediately reattached the severed forearm. E.N.D flexed his wrist as he laughed again, this time the sound resembled a rasping like hiss.

"**Igneel the Fire King said something along those lines four hundred years ago,"** E.N.D said as he held his arms out at his sides, **"and look, I'm still here. Trying to kill me while trying to save my host never works…it never does. We are connected. If one dies…so does the other."**

Gray glared at E.N.D as his free hand shook in anger.

"**So…**_**Gray Fullbuster**_**,"** E.N.D said, sneering Gray's name, "**whatever are you going to do? You are just one man…against one demon after all."**

"I never said I was alone." Gray said as he smirked a wicked smirk.

"Iron Rock Fist!" A voice called out and a gauntleted hand made from the very stone upon which E.N.D stood, snapped out of the ground and hit the demon jaw with enough force that his head snapped back while simultaneously breaking his neck.

E.N.D stumbled back in shock, his head bent at a disturbing angle before the ground began to tremble, crack and break apart. E.N.D back peddled to a safe distance before finally taking to the air-his broken neck non-withstanding.

"He certainly is quite adaptable, wouldn't you agree?" Jura asked as he, Lyon and Makarov came to a stop behind Gray. Along with the three, the majority of the mages who could still fight were following close behind while the dragons took the sky.

Now hovering in the air, E.N.D reached his hand up and yanked his neck back in place with a series of audible and cringe worthy snaps.

"**Ow."** E.N.D deadpanned to himself just as Ichiya and his group arrived to tend to the battered script and water mages.

Hibiki and Jenny tended to Juvia, gently taking her from Gray's lingering arms, as the water mage gasped in pain prompting Jenny to gently stroke her hair to comfort the injured mage.

"Don't worry Gray," Hibiki said, "we'll get her out of here safe and sound."

"Thanks." Gray said while Eve and Ren gently picked Levy up and off the ground.

"Get those two to safety." Ichiya said, "I'll stay with these boys and help tidy up this mess."

He then looked to E.N.D and frowned, flipping his hair over his shoulder.

"Ugh, that demon reeks of the most wretched parfum."

"**Oi!"** E.N.D snapped as he flipped the perfume mage off with his middle finger.

"**You don't exactly smell like sunshine and rainbows either pal, so piss off!"**

"And rude to boot," Ichiya said with an over dramatic grimace, "he's got quite some nerve."

"I think it'd be best for us not to piss him," Lyon said as he removed his jacket, "after all that he's done, I'd prefer to make it out of this with my head still on my shoulders."

It was then that Metalicana and Grandeeney soared over head and gave chase after E.N.D as the demon let out a series of curses before flying higher into the air.

"Master!" Erza called out as she came to a halt next to Makarov.

"Erza!?" Makarov said in alarm, "I thought I told you to stay back and let your wounds recover."

Erza winced at the mention of her shoulder, which was bleeding through its bandage thus making her arm hang limp. Regardless of the pain she felt, Erza equipped one of her swords in her good hand and steeled her gaze.

"No offense master, but I'm not sitting this one out. I'm seeing this through to the end whether you like it or not." The sword mage said.

Makarov sighed before looking to the sky as E.N.D continued to evade and counter Grandeeney and Metalicana.

"I wouldn't expect any less." Makarov said before raising his voice for all to hear, "As soon as those dragons bring E.N.D down, hit him with everything you got! Don't let up and don't hold back!"

"Count on it," Gray muttered as the others let out a collective battle cry, "Mark my words E.N.D…one way or another, I'll save Natsu from you."

XXXX

"Etherious Natsu Dragneel." A voice spoke, piercing the haze that filled her mind.

Lucy's eyes slowly began to open as she tried to focus on the voice that sounded close but oddly far away.

"Etherious Natsu Dragneel," the voice spoke again, "that is his name. That is what E.N.D stands for."

She must have passed out again, Lucy reasoned, hence why it was so hard to focus. She still lay on her side, still facing Igneel…and still weakly clutching the wound in her abdomen. A wound that ceased to stop bleeding.

"Who…" Lucy rasped as she tried to push herself onto her forearm with marginal success.

"Who's there?" Lucy said as she looked at her surroundings with bleary eyes. It was only when her eyes focused on a person in dark clothes and wearing a white toga, did she realize who was speaking to her.

"Fate has a strange way of determining out destines," Zeref said as he ran his hand along the fallen dragons scales, scales which were still warm, "wouldn't you agree Lucy Heartfilia?"

"You!" Lucy hissed, wincing in pain as her vigor once returned; fueled by the anger she felt for the dark mage.

"Y-You turned Natsu against us…against Igneel…against me!" Lucy snarled, "You turned him into a monster!"

Zeref turned to Lucy and walked over to Lucy, smiling his small, apathetic smile.

"G-Give him back!" Lucy snapped, "Give him back!"

"…You understand so little and assume so much." Zeref said after a slight paused.

Lucy watched as Zeref crouched down to Lucy as confusion marred the celestial mage's features.

"Have you ever wondered, since this whole ordeal began, why E.N.D chose Natsu? Why a demon would choose someone like him?"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy said.

"You were told that it was because Natsu and E.N.D share the same magic, yes? That their power would draw each other together? There is partial truth to that, yes, but at the same time…you were told wrong."

Zeref looked to the sky as if thinking back to something akin to pleasant memory.

"The truth of the matter is that we share a history, Natsu and I." Zeref said as he laced his fingers together.

"H-How?!" Lucy said, "Natsu didn't meet you until we came to Tenrou Island; he said he'd never met you before that."

"Wrong." Zeref said, looking back to Lucy as his smile quickly faded.

"_You_ and _your Guild_ did not meet me until that day. I met Natsu, however, when he was no more than a new born baby."

Lucy's eyes promptly widened in shock and disbelief while her mouth fell slightly agape.

"What?" Lucy whispered.

"Yes," Zeref said, "Natsu and I first met when he was only just a few weeks old…and that is why he didn't recognize or remember me. It had been quite some time after all and children are far, far too young to remember anything at that age."

"What did you do?" Lucy hissed, "What did you do to him?"

"I remember that day quite clearly. I found myself in South Western Fiore one day after choosing to move about the country once again. A change in scenery compared to the familiarity of Tenrou Island. I had the misfortune of stumbling upon a small village at a time when I accidently found myself unable to control my power. My magic, in turn killed everyone in the village; everyone who had tried to help me. All were dead…save one."

"Natsu…" Lucy said before suddenly coughing up a large wad of blood, "You…you monster."

"Call me what you will, I cannot undo what has been done. I'm not entirely sure how Natsu survived…but he did regardless. Both his parents were mages so they may have very well been able to shield Natsu from my magic or it could be something as cliché as a mothers love; a mother desperately trying to protect her child from harm. Natsu was alive but alone and I doubted anyone would be able to help him in the meantime. I was tempted to kill him then and there so as to spare him from dying on his own.

But when I touched, when I was readying to deliver a curse that would kill him in an instant, I caught a glimpse into the future; Natsu's future. My future. _Our_ future. I don't know how or why I saw what I saw, but I saw the child before me grow to be a powerful mage. A mage who would one day meet one of my greatest demons, END, and together they would kill me."

Zeref paused as Lucy continued to stare at him, shell shocked and bleeding.

"I would finally be able to obtain the end that I had craved for so long. But I did not know when that day would come. So I placed a curse on Natsu; a curse that would allow END to seek out Natsu and combine once the former met the latter. END had changed to E.N.D.; Etherious Natsu Dragneel.

But as you well know, that wasn't the case seven years ago…hence my disappointment when I saw Natsu again. He and END had yet to meet and therefore, I could not be killed. But, back to that time all those years ago, I had just finished applying the curse when Igneel the Fire King appeared in the village. He had coincidently been nearby and had sense my presence when I lost control of my magic. He confronted me, tried to kill me, but I used Natsu as a bargaining chip, so to speak. In exchange for letting me go, I would leave Natsu in Igneel's care; to raise as his own. I had a feeling that Igneel suspected my motives behind sparring Natsu but I did not care; he could not stop what was to come. So the dragon relented…and the rest is history."

Lucy comprehend what Zeref had just told her. It seemed illogical. Impossible even. But she knew in her heart that the dark mage spoke the truth.

It only made her hatred for the man simmer deeper.

"You planned this?" Lucy snarled, "You cursed Natsu and then planned for him to turn into E.N.D?!"

"In a manner of speaking…but I cannot speak on behalf of my demons. It seems that when I cursed Natsu, I changed the END spell and they took it as a sign to seek me out and bring about the end of magic in this world. They were more overzealous in their devotion to me than I had anticipated."

"You bastard!" Lucy screamed before doubling over in pain. Her bleeding had worsened during the course of Zeref's tale and now her strength was fading her; rapidly.

Zeref regarded Lucy coolly as he had been through their whole exchange.

"The day of reckoning is now at hand. I will have that end that I have been craving for the last four hundred years. E.N.D will kill me…and E.N.D will die with Natsu. And it appears that you are not long for this world either. It is a time of dying for us all, it would seem."

"N-No," Lucy coughed, "N-No y-you can't…you…Natsu…no."

"E.N.D's fight with your comrades is drawing to a close; this is where I take my leave." Zeref said as he stood and began to walk away from a trembling Lucy while two large balls of fire lit up the sky.

He paused for a moment and withdrew something from within his robes. He then tossed it down to Lucy as the mage continued to glare at Zeref.

"Goodbye, Lucy Heartfilia." Zeref said…and then he was on his way to meet his fate.

"Damn it…" Lucy said, gritting her teeth as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Damn it…why am I so weak!? I couldn't help Natsu…I couldn't save him…damn it…damn it all!"

It was then that Lucy finally saw what Zeref had tossed down to her. It was white and tattered with a scale like pattern woven into it. She'd recognize it anywhere. With a strangled sob, Lucy extended a trembling hand and gripped the fabric; pulling it close.

_It was Natsu's scarf._

Natsu's scent flooded her nose; the scent of spices and campfires. It was the scent of the man who had become her light, her anchor, her beloved friend.

…The man she had come to love.

And now she was going to lose him…forever.

Natsu's scent and the horrifying thought caused Lucy to burst out into silent tears that spilled down her cheeks like a waterfall as sobs wracked her body.

"Natsu," Lucy sobbed, "Natsu!"

She took a in a pained breathe as he her vision began to fade…her bleeding wouldn't stop.

"Help…" Lucy whimpered, "somebody…anybody…please; help Natsu!"

Her eyes began to flutter close.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered.

Darkness enveloped her world.

"…Na…Na...Natsu…"

And then she slipped into the darkness as it wrapped itself around her…pulling her into the void.

XXXX

The ground shook beneath the feet of the mages as Metalicana and Grandeeney crashed to the ground, dead; their bodies burnt and charred from E.N.D's fire curses. The ground cracked and splintered while twin plumes of dust were tossed into the air.

"Oh my God." Gray whispered as he as he brought his arms up to shield against the dust.

"Did anyone see what happened!?" Makarov called out as bits off rock and debris began to fall from the dust.

"No!" Jura called back, "I list them in a cloud bank and then the sky lit up…next thing I know, those two fell from the sky."

"**It's simple really,"** A voice said from within the dust as a pair of red eyes flared to life**, "I incinerated them."**

The dust began to settle just enough for E.N.D's form to appear; enough for a twisted grin to been seen on his maw.

"**Now I have to ask, who wants to join them?"** E.N.D said as he raised his hands in gesture, **"I promise, it will be quick and painless."**

No one made to move or respond to the demon. They all were in shock at seeing Metalicana and Grandeeney fall to E.N.D's power.

"No one?" E.N.D said, "Fine…I'll make it easy for you-"

E.N.D said only to disappear in a flurry of embers before just as quickly reappearing behind Milliana and Risley. Before the two women could react, E.N.D lashed out the mages by striking Risley with a series of jabs before knocking her down horizontal elbow strike to head which knocked her abdomen down into his awaiting knee.

"Risley!" Milliana cried out and lashed out in turn with her claws in hopes of striking E.N.D.

The demon let the cat mage strike him as her claws did little but leave deep scratches in E.N.D's natural armor. The demons hand snapped up and caught her left right wrist and squeezed; painfully. And just as swiftly, E.N.D broke her arm at the elbow, yanking the arm down.

Milliana screamed in agony as E.N.D released her, letting her fall and raised his foot; intent on curb stomping her head in.

"NO!" Erza and Kagura cried out at charged the demon.

Kagura had Archenemy drawn and ready to strike as did Erza with her own sword. E.N.D quickly brought his arm blades to bare and brought them up to block the attacks. E.N.D cackled wickedly and changed the form of his wings.

"**And here I thought you would have learned from last time."** E.N.D sneered at Erza only for the sword mage to make a smirk of her own.

"LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE THIS!" A voice called in a slightly over dramatic fashion.

E.N.D looked to the right just in time for Ichiya's fist to connect with it, the perfume mage having drawn on his power perfume for extra strength.

But the demon didn't budge an inch. He simply sighed deeply and used his left wing to strike Ichiya way and up into the air as the mage let out another over dramatic cry and disappeared like a shining star.

"**That was pathetic beyond reason."** E.N.D said as his wings struck out at Erza and Kagura without him even looking at them.

They were saved however when Jellal appeared behind them and yanked them back just in time to avoid the attacks. E.N.D let out an annoyed growl but was cut off once again by another battle cry. He looked up just in time for Mirajane to land a solid kick onto the demon, bending him back all the way so that his spine broke from the impact.

Mirajane then grabbed the demon and tossed him into the air and gave chase, following up with a series of strikes and slashes. Despite having a broken spine, E.N.D was able to fix his body and block a few of Mirajane's attacks. The takeover mage countered by kicking the demon away summoning her Soul Extinction spell.

"Die." Mira growled and blasted E.N.D with the devastating attack.

The destructive spell did its job in damaging E.N.D…but it wasn't enough to completely stop him. Despite his armor and skin having been blasted away, E.N.D still hovered in the air and was already bringing his hands together in a manner similar to how Mira had casted her spell.

"**Darkness Magic eh?"** E.N.D said with a grin, **"Powerful stuff…but not as powerful as fire."**

E.N.D casted his hands out as the ball of fire that had formed in his hands fired a concentrated beam of molten flame. Mira was able to avoid the brunt of the attack…but her wings were scorched in the process.

Mira let out a frightened scream as she fell back to the earth below but was saved at the last moment when Evergreen swooped in a caught Mira mid fall. E.N.D had followed Mira and flared his wings to pursue the two women as they flew close to the ground. E.N.D's flight was stopped however when he felt something grab him by the leg, yank him down and then smash him into the earth with incredible force.

"A real MAN never harms a woman!" Elfman yelled, having transformed into his Lizardman form.

"A real MAN never harms his friends!" Elfman yelled again as he lifted E.N.D off his back and then smashed him onto his front side.

"A real MAN fights when he's being possessed!" Elfman said as he turned E.N.D over and smashed his foot down onto the demon's stomach.

"Damn it Natsu, I know you're still in there; be a MAN and fight back!" Elfman said before delivering a fierce right cross, "You're stronger than this!"

Elfman continued to lay blow after blow to E.N.D. as the demon jerked and twitched with each hit. His shoulders heaving with tired breathes, Elfman lifted E.N.D up by the neck as the demon cracked a lazy smile.

"**You know,"** E.N.D said with a broken jaw, "**the way you use the word man…and judging by your takeover form…I'd say you're **_**overcompensating**_** for something."**

Elfman snarled and prepared to smash E.N.D back down only for E.N.D to grab Elfman's wrist and twist his body up so that his legs latched onto Elfman's arm. He then manipulated his body and Elfman's arm so he fell forward onto his back and snapped Elfman's in the process.

The takeover mage cried out in pain as E.N.D pushed himself up and locked Elfman's twisted arm behind his back and ran his arm blade up his back, the heated blade easily piercing Elfman's flesh.

"ELFMAN!" Evergreen and Mira screamed.

"**Ever wonder what it feels like to have your spinal cord cut by a superheated blade?"** E.N.D asked as he raised his arm, leveling it with Elfman's neck.

But, once again that day, E.N.D's killing strike was prevented…by Gray cutting across E.N.D's back with his Zeroth Long Sword. The demon slayer magic cut off E.N.D's wings while also piercing his back. The demon stumbled away, hissing in pain as ice shards formed in the wounds.

"Elfman," Gray said as he took a defensive stance next to Elfman, "can you stand? Can you walk?"

"Y-yeah…I think I can." Elfman said as he clutched his arm, rising on his knees.

"Good," Gray said as he gripped his sword tighter, "get back to the others. Tell them to stay back and not to interfere. It seems only my magic can harm E.N.D…so I'll fight him until he stays down. Got it?"

"Got it." Elfman said, "And Gray, don't get yourself killed; Juvia will never forgive you if you do."

"I know." Gray said as he gritted his teeth, turning back to E.N.D who had partially healed by then.

The two regarded each other for a moment, each one sizing up the other. E.N.D snorted and cracked his knuckles.

"**So…It's come down to this eh?"** E.N.D said.

"I guess it has." Gray replied.

"**You still think you can save **_**him**_**; no matter how much I say you can't?" **

"I know I can." Gray said.

E.N.D was silent before shaking his head with a shrug of his shoulders.

"**You're funeral."** E.N.D said, **"Let's settle this freak to man."**

E.N.D's heart began to glow through his chest, the molten crags stemming from it burned fiercely as the demon reached his hand up and into it.

With a cracking sound, E.N.D removed what appeared to be the handle of a large sword. It was made from blackened metal with an even darker leather wrapped around it. Then the blade formed in a whirlwind of flame as the blackened steel solidified while a fiery red trim formed around the edge of the blade. A rough, block style script carved itself into the blade to form the words: HELL.

The sword, fully put together, was as wide and long as E.N.D was as wide as he was tall; a fierce weapon in its simplicity.

E.N.D let the blade fall from the resting point on his shoulder and fall to the ground where the ground cracked from the impact. Gray knew that the weapon was impossibly heavy and that only a demon such as E.N.D was the only one to wield it.

Widening his stance, Gray bent his knees before suddenly dashing forward, bringing his blade up and striking out. E.N.D easily lifted the blade and used to it to block the attack as if he were fighting with a normal sword. Sparks and chips of ice flashed off the locked blades as the human and demon pushed against one another for dominance.

E.N.D made an arm blade with his free hand but Gray saw this and ducked beneath the strike and broke his swords away to strike at E.N.D who dodged the attack, spun and struck his sword down at Gray. Gray quickly made a gauntlet of ice to block the attack and the sword bounced off the ice. Gray hissed however as the gash in the ice began to melt. It wasn't enough to burn but it was on par with water that was a _little too_ hot.

Reforming the gauntlet into a shield, Gray swiped his foot out to knock E.N.D off balance but the demon countered by hopping up. Gray rolled onto his back, knees curled up to his chest and kicked out when E.N.D came back down. The feet connected but E.N.D caught Gray's foot with his free hand and twisted the limb so that Gray spun like a corkscrew. Still holding the foot, E.N.D flung Gray away from him but Gray stopped himself by stabbing his swords into the ground.

E.N.D charged and the two recommenced their battle as their swords met, parried and struck. They spun, twirled and dodged. When their blades locked together again, Gray tapped his foot onto the ground and a shard of ice shot out behind E.N.D and nailed him in the shoulder. The demon cried out in pain and Gray slid his sword from E.N.D's and slashed the demon across the arms and chest.

Ice sprung from the wounds and E.N.D was forced to use his wings as makeshift shields against Gray's assault. E.N.D flared out his wings, making Gray stumbled back while the demon back flipped before quickly summoning his scattergun and shooting off a series of shots at Gray before firing off a blast of his optical laser.

Gray deflected the shots and then refracted the laser away from before reforming his sword into his Zeroth Destruction Bow. Gray drew the bow string back and let loose with a quadruple set of arrows. E.N.D deflected three of the arrows before one nailed him in the thigh. Despite the pain in his leg, E.N.D stood his ground and brought his sword into a defensive stance. Gray fired off another set of arrows and was able to hit E.N.D in his abdomen. He then aimed his bow skywards and then fired off two large arrows that arced up before breaking apart into smaller arrows that rained down upon E.N.D.

The demon was able to deflect a few of the arrows but a select few struck his legs, arms, and chest. His sword fell from his grip and the demon clutched at an arrow that was close to his heart, the source of most of his power. And then Gray suddenly appeared before him and delivered two broad and heavy strikes with his sword. Lava gushed from the woods as E.N.D's maw dropped open in shock, his arms locked up in shock and eyes wide. He stumbled back then once, twice and then onto his back. Slowly his eyes rolled up and closed.

Gray stood there for a moment as he took deep ragged breathes.

"I'm sorry," Gray panted, "I'm sorry Natsu."

He then moved so that he was standing over the fallen demon. Kneeling down, but keeping his sword close, Gray observed E.N.D's slashed and torn body.

"But I'll fix you, I'll get you back to normal." Gray said, "I've lost too much to lose you to this demon, I won't-"

Gray was cut off when E.N.D's eyes snapped open and the demon rose up, maw agape and chomped his razor sharp teeth down onto Gray's sword shoulder. Gray screamed as the teeth dug deep, causing blood to leak down his arm, chest and back while also causing him to let go of his sword.

"**Motherfucker."** E.N.D hissed through the bite before he let go and punched Gray with a devastating right cross that send the ice mage sliding onto his side.

Gray clutched the wound as he watched E.N.D rise to his feet while his eyes glowed a fierce and terrible shade of red. He then bent down and retrieved his sword, dragging it along the ground as he growled at Gray.

"**You're going to regret that you little shit."** E.N.D said, **"I'm going to eviscerate you. Piece by little piece. Until there is nothing left of you."**

Gray began to push himself back while E.N.D continued at his menacing pace.

"**You can cut me apart, blast me to pieces and even break my bones. Hell, you can even use your fancy demon slayer magic. But it'll never work; it'll never stop me. Igneel couldn't stop me…you couldn't stop me…no mortal can stop me. The only thing that can stop me…"**

E.N.D gripped his sword with both hands and began to raise it.

"…**Is by me killing Zeref."**

E.N.D was poised to strike when he felt a presence behind him; as if someone was moving behind for a sneak attack. Spinning around, E.N.D snapped his blade out and forward as the tearing of flesh and snapping of bone pierced the air.

"No…" Gray said as blood began to spill to the ground and steam off of E.N.D's blade.

E.N.D's blade…had pierced Zeref's chest.

For a moment, master and demon regarded one another before E.N.D let out a chuckle. His maw quirking into a small smirk.

"**Like I said before…impatient to die aren't we…Lord Zeref."**

XXXX

"_Lucy." A voice gently spoke up._

_A light, brighter than any light she had seen before glowed through the darkness of her eyelids._

"_Lucy," the voice soothed, "wake up Lucy; you have to wake up."_

_Her eyes began to flutter open at the sound of the voice. It was a familiar voice…one that she had not heard in a long time._

_The feeling of fingers gently running along her hair further coaxed her back into reality._

"_Come now sweetie," the voice continued, "you still have much to do. You need to wake up."_

_Lucy's eyes opened and she squinted past the blinding light only for a hand to gently shield her eyes. Focusing, Lucy gasped slightly._

"…_Mother!?" Lucy said._

XXXX

A/N: So…how was that?

Okay everyone, I once again apologize for the lateness of this chapter. This took me longer than I would have liked to churn out and I am still sorry for letting my drama get the best of me when it came to writing this chapter. Because of that, I also apologize if this chapter isn't up to par with my other chapters.

So, in terms of this chapter, Zeref and E.N.D's "end" is at hand. And of course there is the sudden appearance of Layla Heartfilia. How all this plays out remains to be seen but what is certain is that next chapter will be the final chapter…or will it?

I have decided to break this story into two parts. This current "arc" and then an "Alternate END" arc which will be set in line with the more current manga chapters. I only anticipate the Alternate END arc to be only a couple of chapters in length like things are now; maybe four or five chapters like this if I'd have to hazard a guess.

I know when I started this story that I was only going to make this a five or less chapters in length, but the creative cogs in my brain got rolling and I couldn't resist. There will be a resolution next chapter, I can assure you that, but if it will be a happy ending or not…well, that's a secret.

Next time; CHAPTER 5: When the end comes

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review, happy reading and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	5. Chapter 5: When the end comes

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back! Did you miss me?!

So, I am very pleased as to how the last chapter turned out and with the overall reaction to the chapter; I've been having so much fun writing this story and it's turned out better than I could hope for.

Now, last time in the closing A/N, I explained that this wasn't the final end to the story. Far from it actually. To clarify what I said, I'll be breaking this story into two halves or "Arc's." There will be this arc which is coming to a close and then there will be the "Alternate END" arc which I will make…depending on how things play out, as long as I have to, to be honest. This second arc will be focused towards the current manga arc but with notable changes pertaining to the main story and this story's plot.

That being said, I intend to wrap this arc up with a bang before moving onto the more…"angsty" second half.

So, to quickly sum up what happened last time, E.N.D returned to attack Fairy Tail after killing Igneel and leaving Lucy for dead. While that fight raged, Zeref revealed himself to a bleeding Lucy and revealed E.N.D and Natsu's connection to one another. Once again leaving Lucy for dead as she slipped away, Zeref went to the battlefield with a death wish in mind, just in time to have it granted as E.N.D was seconds away from killing Gray.

As to what happens now…well, I'll leave that to you to find out.

As always before we continue, here is a shout out to those who left a series of wonderful reviews.

_**-Zangetsu50:**_ Hello and welcome back to the story; I am very happy to know that you are enjoying this story…especially since the END theory was confirmed; oh, I can only imagine what will happen down the line!

_**-Gh0st's buddy:**_ Hello and as always, welcome back! Glad you like the action, there will be more to come.

_**-Honeychan93:**_ Hello there are welcome to the story. Glad you are enjoying it thus far!

_**-Guest:**_ Hello there, hope the wait wasn't too long for this chapter :)

_**-jbadillodavila:**_ Hola y bienvenidos de nuevo a la historia, me alegra saber que usted está disfrutando hasta ahora. Estoy más que seguro de que Layla y los eventos relacionados con su muerte jugarán un papel importante en los acontecimientos futuros y que está ligada de alguna manera a los dragones está sellada. Lo que el papel será en los próximos capítulos, sin embargo, sólo puedo supongo.

_**-DarkDragonGirl4:**_ Hello and welcome back! I am very, very happy to know that you understand and love the laser reference! It's one of my favorite internet meme's so expect to pop up every now and again ;)

_**-owlcity2013:**_ Hello and welcome back. You have nothing to apologize for, there was nothing wrong with your previous review *returns hug*. As to shattering your heart, that is something I cannot guarantee. This chapter will be a tough one but what you should really worry about is what comes after in the "Alternate END" arc.

_**-Guest #2:**_ Hello there! I do love my cliffhangers X). Yep, expect Lucy to play a big role in this chapter. Wow, this first END!Natsu story is really that good?! Oh so many feels hearing that; thank you very much!

_**-HazelDragonNora:**_ Hello and welcome back my dear! Yep, Zeref has met his end and Lucy is hanging on by a thread. The italics were just for dramatic effect at the end of the previous chapter; nothing special there. I'm glad you like the fight scenes and also, thank you for pointing out the big error there last chapter. It has since been revised…damn typo's!

_**-Sara lovelymusic: **_*Pokes head out from makeshift barricade with megaphone in hand* Miss, I am going to politely ask you to calm down *dodges SUV tossed in general direction* on second thought, never mind! I apologize for making you freak out in your review but it is what is. This chapter won't be as bad, I can promise you that…it's what comes after that you should be wary of X)

_**-brooke0315:**_ Hello and welcome back! Thank you very much, I will try my best to keep up the good work. Sorry for the wait, I hope this chapter makes up for it!

_**-Zivyx:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! This is your first END!Natsu story and you love it that much?! I feel honored to hear that, thank you very much. Trust me, I have a special role for Lucy in this chapter just you wait.

_**-fallout-boy97:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! Yes, Zeref has been slain by END but is this the end for our beloved fire mage?! Well…you'll find out soon enough. Glad you like the story so far, hope this chapter was worth the wait!

_**-Wacko12:**_ Hello and welcome back! To answer your question, the answer is that Natsu has been in his etherious form since chapter one. E.N.D in my mind, only resembles humans in shape, not appearance or physiology. This is a demon were talking about after all.

_**-Guest #3:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! Uhm…I'm sorry for making you cry, I didn't realize my writing had that kind of effect on people…whoops. Anyways, I'm glad you're are enjoying the story so far and I hope you were able to contain your excitement because this chapter is a doozie!

_**-Sailor Pandabear:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! Glad you find the story interesting so far. Yep, I do enjoy my cliffhangers!

_**-Eien ni Touko:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! I'm glad you like my story and that it's kept you on edge so far. I'm happy to know my writing prompted such reactions from you; lets me know I'm doing something right.

_**-G276: **_Hello and welcome! Yes *evil laughter* that cliffhanger! I hope this update was quick enough for you and I'm sorry for making you cry! I don't mean to do it! I'm glad you like the story so far and I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

So, I think I've stalled long enough *dodges a frying pan tossed at head*, who's ready for more?

XXXX

CHAPTER 5: When the end comes…

XXXX

"_There is, you know, surprisingly, always hope." -Doctor Who_

XXXX

"No…" Gray said as blood began to spill to the ground and steam off of E.N.D's blade.

E.N.D's sword…had pierced Zeref's chest.

For a moment, master and demon regarded one another before E.N.D let out a chuckle. His maw quirking into a small smirk.

"**Like I said before…impatient to die aren't we…Lord Zeref." **The demon said.

Zeref, his feet dangling off the ground, only gave E.N.D a small smile as blood began to seep past his lips. With a shuddering cough that produced more blood and with shaking hands, Zeref gripped the sword blade and pulled himself further along its length.

And further speeding his passing.

"I can die…" Zeref rasped, "After all this time…I can finally die."

E.N.D pulled his sword back so that he and Zeref were face to face. Gripping his master's robes with his free hand, E.N.D ripped the blade from the dark mages chest before casting it aside. The sword clattered to the ground before the word "HELL" glowed once and then the sword disappeared in flurry of embers. The sword had served its purpose and thus, it was no longer needed.

Then, in a surprisingly tender gesture, E.N.D laid Zeref on the ground and held his hand, his grin softening slightly.

"I can die…after four hundred years…it's finally happening." Zeref said.

"**Aye,"** E.N.D replied, **"and with your death, I shall return to you…like the prodigal son returning to the father."**

Zeref smirked even as a large pool of blood began to slowly fill out beneath him. He coughed again, forcing more blood to bubble and ooze from his chest wound.

"Well done E.N.D," Zeref said, "…well done, Natsu."

Zeref's eyes began to close but he still held onto that small smile of his. The smile that hid the darkness and torment that raged within the dark mage.

"Thank you," Zeref whispered, "thank you."

And with a final breath, Zeref silently passed away from the world of the living.

The seemingly immortal dark mage, the creator of the fiercest demons and monsters the world had ever seen-the creator of the Tartaurs Demons-had finally been given the death he had long been searching for.

Zeref was dead; and soon enough, E.N.D thought, he would be joining his master too.

Rising back up to his full height, E.N.D looked up to the clear blue sky and gave an amused chuckle.

"**Dust to dust,"** the demon said, **"ashes to ashes. Two corpses in one grave. I have fulfilled my purpose…and now I return to the darkness from which I came."**

His maw quirked into a smirk once more.

"**A fitting end, for a monster such as me."** E.N.D said and closed his eyes as a neutral expression formed on his face.

A hissing sound, similar to the sound of firewood being lit, began to emanate from Zeref's corpse. Steam began to rise off of his body before it suddenly burst into flames; the fire a brilliant shade of blue. Slowly and steadily, Zeref's body began to burn away.

E.N.D's body suddenly jerked once and then twice before he let out a long exhale of breath as he fell to his knees, head slumped forward.

And Gray had been watching the entire scene unfold in a mixture of shock, horror and awe. The only question that Gray seemed to form in his shell shocked mind was something akin to "what the hell is happening now?"

And then E.N.D let out a low, pained groan as he raised his hand to his forehead. He then rose to his feet on unsteady legs and then proceeded to look at his hands in manner similar to when he had awoken.

"What?" E.N.D spoke in confusion, and Gray immediately noticed the difference in tone.

It was a familiar voice.

A voice he knew well.

"Natsu!" Gray called out, "Natsu is that you?!"

With a jerking motion, the demon spun around to face Gray and revealed a head of natural pink hair and eyes that were no longer black and crimson but a shade of emerald green that seemed to glow in the sunlight.

His body was still clad in the black natural armor, his wigs were still at his back, and his armored maw continued to cover his mouth and jaw while the horns extended from his head. But for all intents and purposes, Natsu Dragneel was back in control of his body.

"G-Gray?" Natsu asked, the fear and confusion evident in his voice, "What…what happened? What's going on?!"

He then raised his hands, eyes wide in fear.

"Why am I like this?!" Natsu cried, clearly on the verge of panicking.

"Natsu," Gray said as he clutched at his wounded shoulder, "Natsu, you have to calm down! Mard Geer awoke E.N.D and made it take over your body and-"

"WHAT?!" Natsu yelled.

"But you stopped him; most importantly, you stopped E.N.D." Gray said. It was a lie but he had to figure out a way to calm Natsu down somehow.

"I…I…" Natsu said as he slowly clutched his head which had begun to throb in pain.

He smelled smoke and turned around to see Zeref's body ablaze and slowly burning away…but not fast enough for him to not see that it was the former dark mage.

"Zeref!" Natsu whispered before gagging slightly; suddenly tasting the copper tang of blood in his mouth.

"Wha-What?" Natsu said in horror as he spat out a wad of blood into his hand, "B-Blood?"

Natsu froze as he looked from his hand and then to Gray's shoulder. The ice mage felt a sharp ache fill his heart when he saw the frightened look in Natsu's eyes.

"Gray…" Natsu said his voice hoarse, "did…did I do that to you?"

"Natsu…" Gray said, taking a step forward only for Natsu to step back.

"Oh…Oh gods what happened? What did I do?" Natsu said as his breathing became panicked while gripping his head with both hands.

"What did I do?!" Natsu cried out only to tense up when an image flashed in his mind's eye; a burst of flame followed by the pained cries of dragon as it plummeted back to earth.

"What?" Natsu said only to wince when another image flashed in before him; electricity coiled around an arm…before casting it out at two women.

Natsu quickly realized that it was his arm that was casting the lightening…and that the women were Levy and Juvia.

"No." Natsu whispered in horror.

Another image-through his eyes much to his horror-of him attacking people; his friends and fellow mages…his nakama.

"No!" Natsu said.

"Natsu!" Gray said, "What's wrong?!"

"No, no, no!" Natsu said as he fell to his knees.

And then it appeared to him; of him charging a red dragon who soared high into the air. It was Igneel…his beloved father. Natsu let out a silent scream of horror as he watched himself punch the dragon with enough force that it blasted his left side into a bloody mess.

"NO!" Natsu screamed, "IGNEEL, NO!"

A splitting pain suddenly struck him, making him clutch his hands to his chest while gasping in pain. His chest, no, his heart felt warm. Too warm in fact. Natsu was used to heat…but nothing like this. It was a scorching pain that spread from his heart and filled his veins and burned itself into his bones.

The cracks in his armored chest began to widen and deepen as the heart from which they formed began to glow a fiery orange. Natsu gasped again as he closed his eyes in pain as he collapsed forward.

"Natsu!" Gray called out his friend as he ran up to the fallen dragon slayer, "Natsu what's wrong?!"

"It burns…" Natsu hissed, "it burns…my heart…my body…it all burns."

Before Gray could respond, Natsu's body jerked violently-causing him to roll onto his back-as he let out a cry of pain. His clawed hands dug into the ground as his back began to arch up in agony.

"Oh my god." Gray whispered as he watched Natsu's heart begin to glow more fiercely than it had before…while lava began to leak out from the crags in his chest.

The glow of the heart flashed brightly and Gray found himself knocked by a sudden wave of heat, hot embers and pressure. He came to stop yards away from Natsu, his skin stinging from the sudden blast of heat. Gray pushed himself up on his hands as he watched Natsu weakly try to rise only for his heart to "pulse" and bring him back to his knees. He balanced himself on one arm while his other gripped at his chest; the lava now spilling freely from the blazing core that had become Natsu's heart.

"W-What's h-happening t-to m-me?" Natsu rasped before he suddenly lurched forward, his maw snapping open, and vomited a long stream of burning lava. His shoulders heaved with each wretch and Natsu looked to Gray; his eyes silently pleading for help.

"G-Gray…" Natsu said, "G-Gray…"

"Hang on," Gray said as he rose, forgetting the pain in his shoulder, "Hang on Natsu, I'm coming!"

Gray sprinted over to his friend as ice began to form on his hands. It was obvious that Natsu was in pain; that something was burning him alive from the inside. And the only way to stop that pain, to stop the burning, was to cool Natsu down.

_**Do not interfere!**_ A voice suddenly hissed, _**Let us die.**_

Natsu's arm suddenly snapped out at Gray, seemingly of its own volition, making Natsu gawk in horror.

"My arm!" Natsu said as a ball of flame formed in his palm and was fired forth at Gray who quickly dodged the attack.

_**Two corpses in one grave, remember?**_ The voice sneered.

"You," Gray hissed in anger as a vague, shadowy image with glowing red eyes appeared to hover next to Natsu.

"E.N.D!" Gray roared, "You bastard, let him go; let Natsu go now damn you!"

_**But why?**_ END said, _**Isn't this what you wanted? Oh yes that's right, I remember now; you're a hypocrite!**_

Gray clenched his teeth together in anger before snapping his hand out and flicking his wrist. Natsu's body was instantly frozen in ice as Gray used the power of his demon slayer magic to trap his friend in hopes of cooling him down. He then slammed his hand down on the ground, casting two spells at the same time.

"Ice Make Unlimited: One Sided Chaotic Dance!" Gray said, as the multitude of ice swords swirled around Natsu before striking him. With each hit, a piece of ice formed on the layer that was already present, further cocooning the fire mage.

"Ice Make: Prison!" Gray said creating the intricate cage of ice around his frozen friend.

"That should hold you," Gray said before clutching his shoulder again, "I'm sorry Natsu…but that should cool you down in the meantime until we figure out a way to help you.

"Gray-sama!" A voice called out and said ice mage turned around just in time to be taken into the arms of one Juvia Lockser.

"Juvia," Gray said, returning the embrace with his good arm, "you're alright…I…I thought that attack E.N.D used really messed you up."

"Juvia is fine," Juvia said as she pulled back, "Wendy and Chelia were able to heal me and Levy-chan and…Gray-sama, your shoulder!"

Gray winced again as Juvia placed her hands near the wound, using her water to try and stem the bleeding.

"What…what happened?!" Juvia said, her eyes wide in both shock and concern.

"E.N.D bit me," Gray said, "right before he killed Zeref."

"What?!" Juvia said as she followed Gray's gaze to Zeref's still burning corpse.

"Oh no," Juvia whispered, "If he's dead...then that means Natsu-san will…!" Juvia said as Gray made a grim nod to the ice cage.

"It's already started." Gray said, "Whatever killing Zeref did, it broke his hold over Natsu…or partially. He…he started to burn up real bad, almost like he was melting from the inside. I was forced to freeze him. And for now, that should stop him from…melting down." Gray said, struggling with the last words.

He and Natsu had been rivals since the day they had met. But he was also Gray's best friend and for the ice mage, the thought of losing his quasi brother was something he refused to accept.

"What are we going to do?" Juvia said to which Gray gave a haggard sigh.

"I don't know." He answered.

_CRACK!_

The sound of breaking ice caught their attention and the tow mages watched in abject horror as the ice surrounding Natsu began to steam and fall apart.

"You've got to be kidding me." Gray said as he watched his ice wither, melt and fall to pieces. From within the ice, a furious glow formed where Natsu's heart was.

_**So misguided**_, END's voice echoed out just as the ice burst apart in shower of a million crystalline pieces.

Gray shielded Juvia from the hail of razor sharp ice that rained down upon the two. The pieces that struck his skin made him wince and gasp in shock. The ice wasn't cold to the touch like he was used to. No, these ice shards were somehow hot to the touch like the coals fresh from a lit fire.

_**Did you really think a little ice was going to stop our descent into the afterlife?**_ END said, his tone mocking as Natsu stumbled back to his feet, panting for air; eyes wide and pleading for help while END's shadow flickered back into existence.

"Gray!" Natsu called out, "Juvia, please; help me!"

And then his arm snapped up again, aiming for his friends. Natsu latched onto it with his free hand, trying to pull it down, but it wouldn't budge. He no longer hand control over his arm.

_**Certainly you should've realized by now,**_ END said**, after all that's happened to today, that you cannot stop death. You can prolong it but stop it? HAHAHA! Stopping it is as pointless as trying to stop the passage of time or the changing of seasons.**

"Get back!" Natsu yelled as his arm lit up in a series of vibrant runes, "I can't stop him!"

_**Your friend and I will die here today.**_

Fire appeared on Natsu's arm before coiling out in the shape of a fearsome dragon.

_**Accept it. **_The demon said and fired the attack, making the fire dragon snarl and rise high into the air before crashing down and casting a large wave of fire upon Gray and Juvia.

"Water Lock!" Juvia said, letting her element form around her and her beloved ice mage, thus shielding them from the fury of the flames. Juvia quickly dispersed the spell, making the ground steam beneath their feet as they landed.

"I refuse to let that happen." Gray said, his tone strained as he glared at the demon.

_**Fine…if you refuse to accept the truth when it is as clear as day, then you can kindly die you stubborn son of a bitch.**_ The demon hissed as it prepared a new attack.

"Collapse!" A voice called out and the ground beneath Natsu's feet suddenly gave way, making him sink into rubble that was waist high.

"Ice Make: Dragonfly!" Another called out as a flurry of crystalline dragonflies swarmed from overhead, landed on Natsu's possessed arm and froze together in a quick flash of light, incapacitating the limb.

"Lyon!" Gray said as he spun around to see Lyon, accompanied by Jura, Wendy, Chelia, Levy and Gajeel and Yukino and her sister Sorano.

From on high, the remaining two dragons-Skiadrum and Weisslogia-made the ground shudder as they landed next to the mages. And not far behind were the others, ready to get back into the fight.

"Gray," Lyon said, "you okay; hat happened to E.N.D?!"

"I'm fine, but Natsu isn't." Gray said as he looked over to the fire mage just in time to see him lurch against the rock pile; his frozen arm beginning to steam.

"What do you mean? Is he not controlled by E.N.D anymore?" Lyon asked.

"No, E.N.D killed Zeref and now both he and Natsu are…they're burning up and it's getting worse. To make it worse that bastard demon is still clinging to Natsu; still controlling him." Gray said.

"He's dying." Weisslogia said, drawing attention from the others.

"What?!" Gray and Lyon said while Wendy openly gasped.

"It's as stated earlier; if Zeref dies, so does the boy." Weisslogia said, a grim frown on his lips.

"Then it's just as we feared." Skiadrum said, "You can feel it-no-you can see the heat building in him. The fire of destruction just waiting to blow."

"What do you mean?" Levy said, quickly looking from Natsu and to the Dragon, "Is that why his heart is glowing like that?"

"He's melting down." Skiadrum said, "And at this rate, he'll reach a critical stage soon if we don't do something."

"Melting?!" Levy said, taking a step back, her face aghast.

"What my friend is saying is that Natsu is melting down from the inside. His power and the power of E.N.D are combining to the point where we'll be unable to stop it when it reaches a critical state." Weisslogia said.

"And when that state is reached, Natsu will be obliterated in a blast of fire…along with everything in a fifty mile radius." Skiadrum said.

"A fire that will generate a temperature of at least ten million degree's." Skiadrum said, "We do not want to be standing here when that happens."

"No…" Wendy whispered as she looked to Gray, her eyes wide in horror, "We-We have to do something!"

"What can we do," Gray said, "he melted my ice and Lyon's isn't fairing much better."

As if on cue, the ice that had encased Natsu's arm was melted away…as were the rocks that were piled around his legs when Natsu's hand was forced to slam down on the rock.

"You must do all that you can to cool Natsu down." Weisslogia said, "If we can do that, we'll hopefully buy enough time for us figure out a way to save Natsu and eliminate E.N.D once and for all." Skiadrum said.

Gray looked to Natsu as he clutched at his wrist, desperately trying to keep E.N.D from attacking once again. He frowned deeply and let ice form to his arms, Lyon doing the same while Juvia summoned her water magic.

"We'll try," Gray said, "it's all we can do…but we're going to need a miracle if we really want any chance of helping Natsu."

XXXX

"Lucy." A voice gently spoke up.

A light, brighter than any light she had seen before glowed through the darkness of her eyelids.

"Lucy," the voice soothed, "wake up Lucy; you have to wake up."

Her eyes began to flutter open at the sound of the voice. It was a familiar voice…one that she had not heard in a long time.

The feeling of fingers gently running along her hair further coaxed her back into reality.

"Come now sweetie," the voice continued, "you still have much to do. You need to wake up."

Lucy's eyes opened and she squinted past the blinding light only for a hand to gently shield her eyes. Focusing, Lucy gasped slightly.

"…Mother!?" Lucy said in a mixture of shock and joy.

The woman-Layla Hearfilia-of whom Lucy so closely resembled, smiled down at her daughter.

She was dressed in a white, flowing gown, but Lucy paid this no mind as her arms flew out and wrapped around her mother in a fierce embrace to which Layla returned with equal fervor.

"Mother!" Lucy cried out as tears streamed down her eyes while sobs began to wrack her body.

"Hello my sweetheart," Layla said as she gently ran her hand through Lucy's hair, "oh, I've missed you so much."

For a time, both mother and daughter held each other, neither wanting to let go.

"Why?" Lucy sobbed, "Why did you leave me; why did you have to die?"

Layla sighed a sad sigh and pulled back, gently cupping Lucy's cheek with her hand. She smiled a small, sad smile.

"…Look at you, you've grown so much; you've become so beautiful. And I wasn't there to see you become the woman you are now, to watch you grow, to comfort you when you needed me most…I'm so sorry Lucy…so terribly, terribly sorry."

Lucy sobbed as he mother rested her forehead against hers.

"But…I gave my life to ensure that you would have a future to look forward to. To protect you and the lives of so many others." Layla said.

"What…what do you mean?" Lucy said as she looked into her mother's eyes, "Mom…you're not making any sense. And…and I have to know…if you're here, does that mean I'm dead too?"

Layla smiled and gently moved a strand of Lucy's hair away from her brow.

"No," Layla said, "no sweetheart, you are not dead. Not when you still have so much left to do. You see, I've always been with you; a little piece of my soul was bound to yours just before I died. If ever you found yourself on the cusp of death, the spell that bound me to you would activate and allow me to save you. And it appears that now the time has come for that to happen."

"How…why?" Lucy said, "I…I don't understand any of this!"

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning," Layla said, "you see Lucy, years ago I was approached by five of the remaining dragons to aide them in a matter of great importance. A matter in which the fates of many would rest on the actions of these dragons. And they needed my help to make sure this was carried out; they needed the help of a celestial spirit wizard."

"Those dragons there were…" Lucy began.

"Yes. They were Igneel, Metalicana, Grandeeney, Skiadrum and Weisslogia. Igneel informed me that the dark wizard Zeref was up to something terrible and that sooner or later Acnologia would become involved in the fray. A fray that would push their adopted children to the limits of their endurance…and eventually turn them into dragons themselves. They wanted to prevent that from happening. They wanted to protect their children and stop their nemesis's. But in order to do that…they would have to be sealed away within their children."

"But why does that mean they came to you; celestial spirit wizard?" Lucy asked.

Layla smiled a sad smile.

"Because I was the only one who could." Layla answered.

Slowly, if ever so slowly, Lucy began to realize what her mother had told her.

"You…" Lucy began, "you sealed them away? You were the one who sealed Ingeel into Natsu?! And the other dragons into the others?!"

"Yes," Layla said, "and in the end, I used up all of my strength and magic to do so. And I paid the price."

"Why?" Lucy said as her voice cracked from the sob she tried to stifle.

"Because I knew that if I helped the dragons, I would be able to ensure a safer future for you and so many others to grow up into. I would be able to protect you even in death. However, just before I passed, Igneel did allow a portion of my soul to bind itself to someone of my choosing…in case my aid was ever needed. Which brings us back to where we are now."

Layla sighed and frowned slightly when she pressed her fingers to Lucy's abdomen; right where E.N.D had stabbed her.

"To think that this would happen to you," Layla said, "I'm sorry…so sorry."

Lucy folded her hands against her mothers and looked at her wound with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Natsu…he…he was turned against us…against me…and I couldn't save him." Lucy said, now openly weeping.

"I failed him."

"Natsu…" Layla said, "He is Igneel's son correct?"

Lucy nodded.

"Yes, Igneel Dragneel. I can sense that you hold him very close to your heart; that he is your best friend…your protector even. I can sense the joy, the pain, and all that you have been through with him through your heart." Layla said.

"And yet," she added, "I sense something more."

Lucy swallowed hard and looked to her mother.

"I can feel it Lucy, the love you have for him. He is your friend but you want to be more with him…you have fallen for him, haven't you Lucy?" Layla said with a gentle smile.

"Is that obvious?" Lucy said with a wry smile before sighing deeply, "Yes…I…I love him. I've loved him for a long time. We do everything together and whenever I was alone or in pain, he was always there for me. He's been my rock…my anchor…my everything. I can can't help but think that he feels the same way towards me."

But the Lucy frowned as a melancholic look formed on her countenance.

"But I was too afraid to admit it. Too afraid to tell him. And now I feel like I'll never get the chance to do so." Lucy said.

"He was possessed by END…and now he's off to kill Zeref. If he does that they'll both…they'll…"

Lucy didn't dare finish he sentence. The thought of losing Natsu was too painful.

"Lucy," Layla said, "what if I told you there was a way to save Natsu? That there was something only you could do to bring him back to the light."

"What?!" Lucy whispered as her eyes widened in shock.

"Do you remember what The One True Magic is?" Layla asked.

"What…what does that have do with anything?" Lucy asked.

"Do you?" Layla replied.

"…Love." Lucy said after hesitating slightly, "The One True Magic is love."

"That's correct." Layla said with a smile, "And it is with that magic that will allow you to save Natsu. By opening your heart to your love, by opening your heart to him, you can remove the taint that has corrupted him."

"But how?" Lucy asked.

"As I said, open your heart. Give into the love you feel for Natsu. Let it wash over you, heal your wounds and spur your strength and magic anew." Layla said as she took Lucy's hands into hers, holding them before her.

"All you need to do is concentrate and open your heart."

Lucy licked her lips and then bit them slightly in apprehension. Was this really the way to save Natsu? Could she really pull this off?

But those doubts were pushed away when she looked into her mother's eyes; when she looked into the warm depths that exuded love, compassion, confidence; the love and faith she held for her daughter.

"_I can do this,"_ Lucy thought, _"I can do this; I can save Natsu!"_

And so Lucy closed her eyes and focused her thoughts on the pink haired dragon slayer she held so near and dear to her heart.

_Natsu…_

She thought of the good and the bad times they shared.

_Natsu…_

The pain and joy.

_Natsu…_

The many triumphs over adversity.

_Natsu…_

She thought over everything.

_Natsu…I love you…_

And with those words, Lucy felt warmth unlike any other spread across her body. It started deep in her chest and radiated out like the rays of the sun. Her body began to glow in a golden light as glimmering motes drifted off of her frame. The magic coursed through her veins, healing her wounds and sealing them shut; leaving no evidence that any damage had been done. The ties in her hair were gently pulled away as the power of The One True Magic worked its mystical and legendary might upon the young spirit mage.

Her eyes opened then, alight with determination and a sense renewed sense of purpose.

"That's my girl." Layla said and leaned forward to kiss Lucy on her forehead.

"But unfortunately, out time together is drawing to a close. The last of my power was used in helping you and my soul must move on. I think I've kept your father waiting long enough now haven't I?" Layla said with a coy smile.

"Must you go?" Lucy said, tearing up slightly, "I…I don't want to say goodbye again."

"Then don't." Layla said, "We will see each other again Lucy, I promise you that. But for now, go and live your life. Go…and save Natsu. Save the man you love and help him return to you."

Lucy gave a brief, somber nod before smiling.

"I will," Lucy said, "I promise I will!"

"I know you will." Layla said as she drew her daughter into a final hug as the light around them began to increase its gleam.

"I love you Lucy. Now and forever, I will always love you." Layla said as the light enveloped her and Lucy.

"I love you too." Lucy said, unable to stop her tears, "I love you mother."

Layla chuckled a gentle chuckle.

"I'll always be with you, my silly little girl."

XXXX

Lucy's eyes snapped open with a sharp gasp. She still lay on her side in a pool of blood where Zeref had left her; still clutching Natsu's scarf with a death grip.

"Was…was I dreaming?" Lucy asked herself, not quite sure if what had transpired was dream or reality.

Then she saw the blood-her blood-begin to glow as it gently lifted off the ground and returned to her body like a gentle stream through her wound. Then too, did her body begin to glow and she was lifted off the ground be some unseen force. The blood returned at rapid pace and once it did, did her wound seal up. There was no pain to the action and no scar was left its wake. The same went for the other plethora of scrapes bumps and bruises that covered her body.

Soon enough, her skin had been returned to its flawless natural sheen.

Lucy could only further gawk as the light continued to encompass her body. She felt her hair become free and flowing, her whip and keys hover at her waist-upheld by two orbs of light, and a new attire cover her body.

The light began to fade but just enough for her body to retain a gentle glow. Now she wore a pair of laced up sandals that ran up the length of her shins. A white, sleeve less top stopped just above her naval, while a similar white skirt stopped just above her knees.

Gently, she was set down on her feet and only then did she realize that she was still holding Natsu's scarf.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered, gently stroking the fabric before tying it around her neck.

Something peeked out from behind her through the corners of her vision and when she saw what it was, Lucy let out a surprised gasp. From behind her and gently folded at her sides, were a pair of feathery wings. The downy white feathers gleamed in the day light and Lucy could only marvel at how soft they felt beneath her fingers.

"Was this all due to the magic?" Lucy thought, "My magic?"

Lucy's head snapped forward, a disturbance in the air and the natural flow of magic catching her attention. She recognized that magic…a familiar magic.

"Natsu!" Lucy said aloud.

She could sense Natsu. He was in trouble…but most of all, he was in pain. So much pain.

Steeling her resolve, Lucy focused her magic and let her wings lift her up into the air. She looked to the sky-to the heavens where she knew her mother was watching her-with a curt nod and determined smile before looking forward.

"Don't worry Natsu," Lucy said, "I'm coming."

And with those words, Lucy was carried off in a glimmer of light to save the man she loved.

To save Natsu Dragneel.

XXXX

"Cool him down!" Gray yelled as he threw up a barrier of ice to protect him and Juvia from a bolt of fire, "Cool him down, it's getting worse!"

"We're trying Gray-sama," Juvia said as she watched in shock as the ice protecting her and Gray simply melted away, "But no matter what we do, Natsu-san is still…he's still…"

She didn't dare say the word "melting"; she wasn't sure her stomach could handle the concept.

In their and the other mages-the ones who could manipulate ice and water-attempts to cool Natsu down and further delay his meltdown, his condition had worsened.

His wings had torn themselves free of his back as did the armor covering his jaw and certain places of his body. From these new wounds and his now revealed mouth, lava freely spilled and pooled around him in burning shades of yellow and orange. His left hand still clutched the leaking crags that emanated from his burning heart; a heart which grew brighter and brighter with each passing minute. And to add on top of it all, the veins in Natsu's body had begun to glow through his skin as did the bones of his ribcage.

Natsu was literally burning from the inside and his fellow mages would be damned if they didn't do anything to help him.

"Solid Script: Water!" Levy yelled as she used the spell to douse Natsu in a continuous stream of water, only for the liquid to bubble and steam off his body.

"Ice Make: Water Serpent!" said Lyon.

"Water Beam!" cried Juvia.

"Ice Devil's Rage!" Gray said as his beam of ice, air and snow merged with the other attacks to freeze Natsu once again.

Natsu for his part, his face not covered by the ice and water mixture, could only gasp at the sensation of his body freezing while he drifted in and out of consciousness as from the pain that was searing away his nerves.

And through it all, Wendy and Chelia worked together to use their healing magic on their fellow mages; to keep their magic and stamina up so as to allow their efforts to cool Natsu to continue.

But despite the outpouring of magic…it seemed to have little effect on the fire mage. Especially when E.N.D's shadow continued to hover next to Natsu; chuckling at the humans efforts to save their friend and forcing them away if they got too close.

_**Heheheheheh,**_ END chuckled, _**do you honestly think a little ice and water is enough to save your friend? To stop **_**my**_** power?**_

Natsu let out a pained cry as his heart glowed through the ice and pulsed once. The ice coating his body burst apart into thousands of shards as a sudden wave of heat swept over the mages. The air suddenly became thick and sticky; like the hottest of summer days with a humidity to match.

_**No,**_ END said as Natsu's heart glowed again, _**with the death of my host, you will burn.**_

The air was sucked in towards Natsu's heart in the same manner a fire does when it sucks out the oxygen from an area. The mages fell to their knees gasping for breath as sweat streamed down their skin, only able to watch as Natsu's heart pulsed once and then twice.

_**You will all burn!**_

There was a third pulse and flash of heat and fire, the humans were tossed back as a shockwave of fire exploded forth from Natsu's heart; the fire mage tossing his head back as he cried out in sheer agony.

_**You will all burn in the fire of destruction!**_ E.N.D said before cackling.

_**And all you will be able to do is watch your friend die! Watch as fire burns away your hope! Watch as it burns away your bodies! Watch as it burns away your **_**souls**_**!**_

Gray landed in a heap, his back sliding against the ground with Juvia coming to rest beside him. Their clothes were singed and burned while steam radiated off their bodies. Juvia coughed once and began to push herself up, rolling onto her side as she did so.

Gray pushed himself up on his elbows, clenching his teeth as he felt the skin of his torso twinge in pain.

"Damn it," Gray hissed, eyes fixed on END, "Damn you! Damn you E.N.D!"

Natsu's heart began to pulse at a more rapid pace, making the cracks in his chest expand further and cause more lava to spill. The air around him began to shimmer and waver from the heat radiating off the fallen mage. Still on his knees, Natsu's body was drawn upright while his arms dangled limply at his sides.

Tears of lava streamed from his eyes as he slowly panted for breathe. He looked over to Gray and Juvia once again in silent plea for help…help that he knew would not come.

It was the end and he knew it; he knew that he was going to die.

"Wendy!" A panicked voice called out.

Natsu's eyes slowly flickered to the source; a blue cat with wings quickly descending from the sky.

"Happy…" Natsu whispered.

The exceed came to a stop next to the sky dragon slayer who had pushed herself up onto her hands and knees.

"Happy?!" Wendy said, "You're alright!"

"Yeah, but Lucy's not!" Happy said, his tone desperate.

"E.N.D attacked Lucy and now…now she bleeding really bad!" Happy said, "I think she's going to die!"

"What?!" Wendy screamed.

"No…" Natsu said as a silent sob shook his frame, "I…I…I couldn't have…I would never…Lucy…Lucy I'm so sorry!"

"Natsu!" Happy cried out, turning to the sound of his best friend's voice only to gasp in shock at his current state.

"Natsu…you're…you're burning up." Happy said as tears spilled from his eyes, "No…No, not you too! I can't lose you too Natsu! Not now, not when Lucy needs you!"

_**No matter how much you plead, there is no stopping what can't be undone.**_ END said as he loomed over Natsu.

"Fuck you…" Natsu hissed as he glared up at the shadow who only sneered in response when Natsu cried out once again, clutching his hands to his heart which now glowed an angry shade of red. If the cracking sound emanating from his chest was anything to go by, it was terrifyingly obvious that Natsu's heart was ready to blow.

_**And with that, the demon said, I do believe that our time. Is. Up.**_ Said END.

"No E.N.D." a new voice said over the breaking of Natsu's heart and the gentle flapping of wings.

"It shall be your time and yours alone that ends today, not Natsu's."

_**Impossible.**_ END whispered.

"L-Lucy…" Natsu said with a pained, faint smile as his eyes drifted up to see Lucy slowly descend from the sky; her body alight in a soft glow.

She looked…beautiful; like a true angel descending from heaven.

With a gentle tapping of her heels, Lucy landed on the scorched stone as he wings gently tucked themselves behind her back.

"Lucy!" Happy cried out in a mixture of surprise, joy and relief, "But…but how?! I thought you were going to die!"

Lucy looked to the winged cat and gave a gentle, reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Happy, I'll explain later." Lucy said before looking to Natsu, her eyes softening and lips parting slightly with a silent gasp.

_**How?**_ END growled, _**How are you still alive?! You should be lying dead in a pool of your own blood!**_

Lucy merely steeled her eyes and set her mouth in a firm line as she began to walk forward at an even, determined pace.

"Lucy, stop!" Wendy called out, "It's not safe!"

"Lucy it's not safe!" Gray hollered, "Get back! You have to get back!"

"Don't worry everyone," Lucy replied, "I know what I'm doing."

_**Stay away,**_ END hissed, forcing Natsu's possessed arm to rise and take aim at Lucy; fire igniting on the tips of his fingers and palm.

"Never." Lucy replied, her tone firm, "I won't let you take Natsu from me."

_**He's mine,**_ END hissed again, _**he's mine and mine alone!**_

The demon fired off a bolt of flame at Lucy, intent on incinerating her. As the ball of flame drew closer, Lucy simply raised her hand and swatted the fire away; dispelling it instantly.

_**WHAT?!**_ END roared, as he fired off more bolts of fire at Lucy only for her to promptly deflect each and every one. And with each deflection, Lucy drew closer and closer.

_**Impossible!**_ END roared, _**IMPOSSIBLE!**_

"You are wrong E.N.D," Lucy said when she was within Natsu's personal space, "when you said Natsu belongs to you."

The shadow and the angle glared at one another.

"Natsu is mine." Lucy said firmly, "And I will not let you take away the man I love."

"…What?" Natsu whispered, "Lucy…you…"

Natsu was cut off when the shadow snarled at Lucy before screaming:

_**JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY YOU STUPID BITCH!**_

Natsu's arm snapped out at his side, arm blade quickly extending out and poised to strike Lucy.

Only the attack never came.

It was stopped…by none other than Natsu himself; his free hand having latched onto his wrist and forcing his arm down with all his might.

"No…" Natsu said through clenched teeth, "I won't let you hurt her; not again, not by you!"

"Natsu." Lucy said gently as she kneeled down before him so that their eyes were level.

"You have to run Lucy," Natsu said, "I…I don't think I can hold him back much longer."

"No," Lucy said, still gentle, "I'm not leaving you."

"Damn it Lucy!" Natsu said, "Just listen to me this…"

His words died on his lips when he felt a pair of hands gently cup his cheeks and move his head so he was looking directly at the woman before him.

So that he was looking at directly into a pair of warm, chocolate brown eyes that held nothing but love and compassion…for him.

"I'm not leaving you Natsu." Lucy repeated, "Not now nor ever."

"…Why?" Natsu said, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.

Lucy smiled and gently rubbed her thumbs back and forth across Natsu's cheeks before gently trailing down his neck to grip his shoulders.

"Because…I love you Natsu." Lucy said as single tear ran down her cheek, "I love you. I always have and always will. I've loved you ever since the day you brought me to Fairy Tail…through all the pain and suffering we've endured…through all the joy we've shared…I've loved you and will continue to love you for as long as I live."

And then she leaned forward, closed her eyes…and kissed Natsu.

Natsu's eyes widened in shock as Lucy's lips melded with his; the softness contrasting sharply with cracked and bloody skin of his own lips. But there was a warmth in the kiss, Natsu realized, as it spread from his lips and across his body.

It wasn't painful like the heat that had been tearing apart earlier.

No.

This heat was gentle and filled with passion and love. So much love. Lucy's love…the love she felt for him.

Slowly, Natsu gave into the sensations that were easily replacing his pain and gave into Lucy's kiss; returning it with an equally gentle fervor.

When they broke apart, the two mages lightly gasped for air as they rested their foreheads against one another while Lucy moved her arms to wrap around Natsu.

"Lucy…" Natsu whispered.

"Natsu." Lucy said, "Everyone is waiting for us to come back, to know that we are safe."

Natsu's body suddenly became alit in a fiery red glow that matched the glow of the inferno ready to burst in his heart. The glow that encompassed Lucy did the same, matching the fiery red with a brilliant golden sheen of her own.

"Natsu!" Gray called out as Juvia desperately clung to him, "Lucy! He's gonna blow; get out of there! Get out of there!"

But neither Natsu nor Lucy heard the ice mage.

"So please," Lucy continued, "come back to the light…come back to the light…"

Lucy leaned forward once more-

"Come back to me."

-and with those words, kissed Natsu again as their worlds were set alight by the glows that enveloped their bodies.

"NO!" Gray yelled as he shielded Juvia and himself from the twin bursts of raging red and golden light.

XXXX

When Lucy opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar place compared to where she had just been; with Natsu.

The fire mage, who she had taken into another lip lock, was nowhere to be seen.

Now she stood in a void, surrounded by darkness on all sides. The place had all the charm of a crypt; it was cold, quiet and most of all, foreboding.

There was something about this darkness that made it seem as if it were alive; as if it were part of a living entity. And Lucy quickly had a feeling as to where she was…and who the darkness belonged to.

"Natsu!" Lucy called out, her voice echoing out and around the cavernous space she stood in.

"Natsu can you hear me?!"

There was no response. Lucy's lips turned down in a slight frown but her eyes retained their determined glint. Just because Natsu didn't answer her, didn't mean he wasn't nearby. She was, after all, inside his mind and therefore, he had to around here…somewhere.

And so she closed her eyes and concentrated, her mind conjuring up an image of Natsu. She focused on that image, focused on him and let her magic spread out across the darkness that filled Natsu's mind. And then, a sound similar to the chiming of a bell reached her ears, and Lucy opened her eyes while her hand stretched out before her. A golden glow outlined her body and the darkness before her was dispelled as it warped and contorted in on itself before tearing away.

And there, lying on his side, with his knees drawn up to his chest and hands clutching his head; was Natsu. Or a very young version of Natsu to be honest. Lucy noted that his body was shaking slightly and she could hear the faint gasps of pained sobs escaping Natsu's lips.

Walking forward, Lucy smiled gently when she came to a stop before Natsu, kneeling down and gently ran her fingers through his hair. He flinched initially at the contact but soon enough relaxed under the tender motions of Lucy's fingers.

"It's okay Natsu," Lucy said, "don't worry…everything will be alright."

"No…" young Natsu croaked, "it won't. I…I hurt you…I hurt the others…and Igneel…I killed him!"

"Natsu, none of that was your fault." Lucy said.

"Yes it was!" young Natsu snapped, looking up to Lucy as tears streamed down his face.

"I should have been stronger! I should have been able to stop END from taking over me! If I had been stronger…none of this would have happened!" Natsu said before breaking out into a series of heartbreaking sobs.

His cries were muffled however, when Lucy pulled him into a gentle hug making his face rest against her shoulder.

"But it has happened Natsu." Lucy said, "I understand what you're feeling, I really do. I felt the same way earlier when I had to sacrifice Aquarius to save the others…and I'm still wondering if I could have done things differently. But I know, no matter how much I try, that there was nothing I could do. The same goes for you. END had been a part of you for a long time…and neither you nor I had any idea of that. There was no way for us to know.

"But even though you had been changed, you still fought him. You fought to protect me, to protect Igneel and the others. The only reason END regained control was because of Zeref…and he's dead now. He no longer has a hold over you. You can come back to us now."

"How can I?" Natsu said, "After all that I've done…how can I face the others?"

"They know that it wasn't your fault Natsu." Lucy said gently, "They want you back as much as I do. They'll stand by you. _I'll_ stand by you. No matter what happens, we'll face it together."

"…Promise?" Natsu asked after a slight pause, pulling back to look Lucy in the eyes.

"I promise Natsu." Lucy said, leaning forward to kiss him gently on the forehead.

The action made Natsu blink in surprise for the briefest of moments before his body began to glow in manner similar to Lucy. And before Lucy's eyes, the young boy that had manifested as Natsu slowly grew and changed back to the man she knew and loved.

The Natsu she knew.

The Natsu she loved.

For a second, Natsu looked to his hands, opening and closing them before smiling.

"I'm…I'm back." Natsu said looking to Lucy who returned his smile with one of her own.

"Yeah…" Lucy said, as she let Natsu pull her into his arms, "Welcome back…you big idiot."

After a minute, the two rose to their feet, but moved their arms so that they could hold each other's hands.

"Hey, where'd you get my scarf?" Natsu said, noting that the cloth was still tied around Lucy's neck.

"I found it." Lucy said, "Well, Zeref gave it to me…right before he died. Do you want it back?"

"Of course he would." Natsu said before shaking his head, "No…keep it. It looks good on you."

Lucy giggled and rested her head against Natsu's chest…before her eyes looked off to the right.

"You can come out now." Lucy said as Natsu followed her gaze, "We know your there."

The darkness once again parted to reveal a shadowy figure imposed over a very familiar looking demon. It was END…or rather, the END that had been summoned when the demon had first awoken. When Natsu had caused the personalities to split. His eyes were closed as if he was in an unconscious state.

"It's over," Lucy said as she and Natsu turned to face END's shadow, "you've lost E.N.D. Let him go."

The shadow hissed at Lucy and Natsu let out a low growl in return.

"You're not welcome here; you never were." Natsu said, "Piss off!"

The glow around Natsu and Lucy increased in brightness and soon enough, the darkness was ebbed away; falling to pieces like shards of broken glass to reveal the void of light that it had suppressed.

The shadow began to waver and rather than let out an angered cry of protest or snarl of rage, END let out a deep sigh of resignation.

_**Damn…**_END said, _**I hate losing. Congratulations humans, you did what so many before you have failed to do. You've killed me. It looks like I'll be going to the grave alone.**_

"Yeah," Natsu said, "looks that way."

END snorted with amused chuckle as his shadow began to fade away piece by piece.

_**Stupid brat…**_

And then he was gone.

END, Zeref's most powerful, was dead. Returning to the darkness from which it had been created.

With the shadow gone, the other half of END-the half that had fought with Natsu to protect the humans, dragons and stop F.A.C.E-began to stir.

With a low groan, his eyes flickered open and instantly focused on Natsu.

"**Natsu?"** it spoke, **"Is that you?"**

"Yeah," Natsu said with a small grin, "not so short now am I?"

"**No…I suppose you're not."** END's other half said, "**Is it finished? Was E.N.D stopped?"**

Natsu nodded slowly.

"He's gone…for good. And so is Zeref." Natsu said.

END's armored maw curved up slightly in a small smile.

"**I see."** END said, **"So now that they have passed on…I suppose my time has come as well, hasn't it?"**

Both Natsu and Lucy lowered their gazes, frowning slightly. END sighed but in a gentle, almost relieved manner.

"**I had a feeling that should those two fall, I would join them." END said, "Do not mourn for me. I still the other half of that demon…of Zeref. I don't deserve your sympathy."**

"But you fought so hard to help us," Lucy said, looking at END's better half, "I…I…just wish it didn't have to end like this."

"**It is my fate."** END said, **"Nothing more. Nothing less."**

END shrugged his shoulders in a simple, carefree manner.

"**It has to be this way."**

The two humans and the demon half were quiet for a moment before END slowly outstretched his hand to Natsu. Hesitating slightly, Natsu took the half demons hand who in turn gave it a solid shake.

"Thank you." Natsu said as END's final half began to fade away piece by piece; like ash in the wind.

The demon gave a single nod, closed his eyes…and then he was gone. For a long time, Natsu stared at where the demon had just stood, silently contemplating what had just transpired. He was only broken out of his stupor when Lucy gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Turning to her, Natsu smiled a small smile.

"It's finished?" Natsu asked.

"It's finished." Lucy said with a smile as she pulled Natsu into her embrace, his arms following suite around her.

"It's finished…" Natsu whispered, "It's finished."

"…Natsu," Lucy said, "everyone is still waiting for us."

"Yeah," Natsu said as he pulled back to look at Lucy, "let's go home."

"Right." Lucy said with a beaming smile while Natsu dipped his head down to Lucy; initiating the kiss on his part this time.

XXXX

For Natsu and Lucy, their exchange with END in the dragon slayers mindscape may have taken a matter of minutes to complete. But for those on the outside-for those in reality-the blinding light that burned with the fury of a thousand suns had lasted no more than a few seconds.

For just as quickly as it had come, it vanished, leaving behind motes of golden light slowly falling from the sky like the first sow flakes of winter.

It took the mages and the remaining two dragons a few minutes to regain their senses from the near blinding effect of the light, but once they recovered, they could only gawk at what they saw before them.

For standing amongst a thick cluster of light orbs, were two people who should have died in the near cataclysmic explosion that was generated by E.N.D's meltdown.

One was a woman, dressed in white-the beautiful wings that once graced her back were no longer present-and had long, golden blonde hair that gleamed in the light. A scarf, similar in appearance to dragon scales was wrapped loosely around her neck.

The other was man with vibrant, salmon pink hair. He was shirtless and wore only a pair of badly torn trousers and scuffed boots.

They stood locked together in a passionate embrace as their lips melded with one another. When they parted, they smiled gently and briefly rested their foreheads against one another before turning to face the mages. They smiled then, bright and wide, as they held each other's hands while raising their free hands as high as they could reach and wave them side to side in greeting.

For a moment, no one moved. They were too stunned in disbelief at what they were seeing. Then, with some help from Gajeel, Levy rose to her feet and ran forth to the man and the woman; tears streaming down her cheeks and a broad smile on her lips.

Soon enough, the others followed Levy's example and ran forth to welcome the return of Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia.

XXXX

**EPILOUGE**

XXXX

_**1 Week Later…**_

A week had passed since the battle with Tartarus had reached its climax.

A week since E.N.D had killed Zeref, in turn ending his own life.

A week since Lucy had pulled Natsu back from the brink…and had confessed her most inner desires in order to save the pink haired dragon slayer.

Desires…that Natsu had returned with equal fervor unto Lucy.

Yes, a week had passed since the climactic battle with Zeref and his demons. Shortly after Natsu and Lucy's return, the remaining dragons-Skiadrum and Weisslogia- had passed away from the world of the living along with their fallen comrades, Igneel, Grandeeney, and Metalicana. They had used up the last of what little energy that had left in their ill-fated duel with E.N.D and they knew that their time to pass on had come.

But even as they faded away, the dragons had passed on a message of hope for the future. That the dragons would watch over mankind while the humans forged their own paths to the future. A future the humans had made possible by their efforts to stop Zeref's demons.

A future that shined brighter than it had before for two particular mages.

XXXX

The battle that had reduced half of Magnolia to ruins and had resulted in the complete destruction of the Fairy Tail building.

Many familiar sights and places that the mages of Fairy Tail and the residents of the town themselves had come to love were either shattered, blasted to hell and back, or were buried under piled of rubble. Some buildings had survived unscathed while others had suffered only minor damage.

But through it all, the mages and the citizens had begun to rebuild.

No matter how much damage was done to their town, the citizens of Magnolia always found a way to rebuild what had been lost. And the mages were all too happy in rebuilding the place they called home.

Progress was slow-would be slow for a while-but that didn't stop many from working long into the night or staying up late to celebrate in a party to help keep spirits up. And Fairy Tail was always ready to throw a rowdy party.

But on this moonlit night in particular, two particular mages were missing from such festivities.

As mentioned before, despite minor damage, many buildings in Magnolia remained standing. One such building was a small apartment located on Strawberry Street. Inside the aforementioned, modest yet cozy apartment, Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia lay in bed together-holding one another in each other's arms-beneath the warmth provided by the pink down comforter that covered Lucy's bed.

While Natsu silently slept, Lucy lay awake, silently watching the man she loved. The light of the moon illuminated the darkened apartment, casting shadow's this way and that while also highlighting Natsu's features.

Occasionally, Lucy would trace her finger through the bangs of his hair or along the edge of his cheek. Natsu would stir, if only for a minute, but he would return just as quickly to realm of sleep.

Lucy still found it hard to believe that it had been only one week since she had helped save Natsu from END. One week since she had confessed to him.

And Natsu had never let her out of his sight. He was with her at all times, never leaving her side. It was if he was afraid that if he looked away for one moment, Lucy would disappear on him. And quite frankly, after all that had happened, Lucy didn't blame him.

It had taken a while to convince Natsu to stop apologizing for what had happened for when he was possessed by END; that it was not his fault and that he had nothing to apologize for.

But still, Natsu had taken the revelations of him being used to kill Igneel, to kill Metalicana and Grandeeney, and to nearly kill Lucy and the others pretty hard. Every night, he would be haunted by dreams…or rather, "memories" of that horrible day. They would make him cry out in his sleep or whimper slightly as he shook slightly in Lucy's arms.

Just as he was doing right now.

Whatever it was Natsu was dreaming about, Lucy did not know. But as she held him close, as she gently whispered and shushed him while stroking her fingers through his hair, Lucy did know one, absolute thing.

She would be there for Natsu; just as he promised to be there for her.

It would be a long road to recovery, Lucy knew that much. Natsu and herself, along with their fellow mages, had all suffered or had lost something during their ordeal with Tartarus. It would be a while before things could be considered "normal" again.

But no matter what happened, no matter what was to come, Lucy knew that so long as she and Natsu were together, they would be able to face whatever the future held for them.

For Lucy loved Natsu; she loved him with all her heart. She had given herself to him…and him to her. Their bond was a special one; an unbreakable one.

And for now, that was all that they needed.

Each other. Now and forever.

And as Lucy slowly drifted off to sleep with Natsu in her arms, she reflected upon the thought that the end indeed had come for Zeref, END, and the demons of Tartarus.

But for her fellow mages of Fairy Tail-for herself and Natsu-it was only the start…of a new beginning.

XXXX

_**ARC 1-END**_

XXXX

A/N: And so ladies and gentlemen…how was that?

The first arc has come to an end but do not expect that to be the end of this story. Far from it.

I am already drawing up plans for "Alternate END" arc. In case I haven't beaten the subject to death with a stick yet, this second-and final- arc will be set in line with the more current manga chapters/current events in the FT universe…with minor changes added from this story carrying over into the next half.

For now I will tell you what is to be expected in context for the next chapter: Fairy Tail disbands, Natsu goes missing and Lucy finds herself alone. And the one year time skip ensues. But also expect some surprises, new enemies and a climactic ending when it finally comes around.

As I said, I don't know how long this next half will be…but I hope you guys will join me for the ride none the less. I know when I started this story that I was only going to make this a five or less chapters in length, but the creative cogs in my brain got rolling and I couldn't resist.

In the meantime, I'm going to take a break from this story to focus on my other works and-most importantly of all-college. I have a gaggle of things to take care of on my end here so don't expect an update for this story to come for at least four or so weeks from now.

Until then I hope you guys will look forward to "Arc 2-Alternate END".

Next time; Alt. END Chapter 1: Alone

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	6. Alt END Chapter 1: Alone

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

Okay, I know I said I was going to take a break with this story-which I kind of did, because I was working on something else-but recent developments in the manga and my own crazy thoughts pushed me to getting my arse back in gear and putting my fingers to the keyboard for this crazy story of mine.

I'd like to personally thank _**Wacko12 **_for helping me brainstorm new ideas and new powers for Natsu in this second half of the story. His input, feedback and creativity were greatly appreciated and I highly recommend his own END!Natsu story if you are looking for a new take on the whole idea.

As mentioned before, this is an alternate take to the ending of the first half of this story. This chapter and the ones to follow, will be set in line with the current manga arc, so _**spoilers ahead for those of you not caught up! **_I will do my best to be faithful to the current story while making my own, necessary changes to fit with this one; some of which may surprise you.

But, here are four of the more paramount changes to the beginning of this story arc compared to the ending of the last arc:

-Mavis was never awakened from her slumber as I had put it. Instead, her spirit manifested and guided the FT mages into battle.

-Natsu managed to heavily wound Acnologia and drive him off rather than kill him. The slippery lizard is still at large.

-Lucy gains her temporary powers at an earlier time, surprises E.N.D and "saves" Natsu before Zeref can get to him and be killed; confessing her feelings for Natsu in doing so. Lucy effectively eradicates E.N.D-for the most part-from Natsu and prevents him from going into a meltdown. With that task complete, her new powers leave her…but not before the demon fades away with a cryptic warning.

-Zeref, realizing that Natsu can no longer kill him for the time being, begrudgingly lives to fight another day.

In this chapter, expect plenty of angst as we turn our attention to our favorite Dragon Slayer and Celestial Spirit Mage.

But, before we continue, here is a shout out to you wonderful readers who left equally wonderful reviews:

_**-Eien ni Touko:**_ Hello and welcome back! I'm glad you liked the previous chapter and that I did well on the scenes you mentioned. Once again, sorry for making you tear up. And whoever said that "Good END" was gone for good? Yeah, Good END is a demon of Zeref so it may be possible that whatever good still in Zeref rubbed off a little on him. As for the new arc, I have a few surprises up my sleeve that you may enjoy.

_**-G276:**_ Hello and welcome back! I am thrilled to know that you thought so much of the previous chapter. I guess I also did good on timing the update for it as well eh? Here is the next update and I hope it meets your expectations.

_**-Johnny Spectre: **_Hello and welcome back! *Bows* I take it that means you liked the precious chapter? X)

_**-CopDog: **_Hello there! Yeah, in retrospect it was a little cliché but hey, I made it work didn't I? I am glad in all honesty that you liked the previous chapter.

_**-Gh0st's buddy: **_Hey dude, welcome back! I am glad you've enjoyed the story so far and trust me, these alternate chapters have plenty in store for them.

_**-jbadillodavila: **_Hola y bienvenidos de nuevo! Me alegro de que te gustaba el último capítulo! Hmm, el último capítulo (s) del manga relativa Gris me tomó por sorpresa, aunque yo sospechaba que había algo que hacer con él. Yo no me lo esperaba allí para ser una gran revelación pronto, así que estoy deseando ver qué sucede después. Yo no compararía gris a Sasuke, pero puedo ver por qué la gente está haciendo las comparaciones. Tendremos que ver qué sucede después.

_**-Sailor Pandabear:**_ Hello and welcome back! Good? Okay, I'll take it!

_**-dragonball256: **_Hello and welcome back, how are you doing? Ah, don't worry about forgetting about this story. It had been a while since I had last updated so the fault rests with me. Hopefully this update was more to your liking. The story isn't over just yet so I hope you'll tag along for what's to come. Yeah, I eagerly await END's awakening in the manga and all the pain that is to come with it. I am sure by the time I get to Natsu and Gray's fight, it will have already been covered in the manga. Still, I am toying with some ideas on how they'll duke it out in this story.

_**-Wacko12:**_ Hey man, welcome back! Patience my friend, all will be revealed soon.

_**-fallout-boy97:**_ Hello, how goes it!? Yep, love saves the day again but will it be enough for what is too come with this half of the story? Yeah, I had it set up to look like Natsu wouldn't make it but I'm a sap for happy endings what can I say. Glad you found it all to be enjoyable. As for END not putting up a fight, well, he realized he was defeated and that even if he tried, nothing would come of it. And for the record; I'm a sir X)

_**-HazelDragonNora:**_ Hello my dear and welcome back! Please don't cry, I'm glad you loved the chapter but please don't cry (save those tears for this chapter *evil laugh*). Yep, Lucy saves the day and gets the man she loves as a reward. Seriously, if something like that doesn't happen in the manga I'm flipping a table. This story isn't over just yet so I hope you're ready for the wild chapters to come.

_**-Zivyx:**_ Hello! Yep, the new arc starts right now and I hope you enjoy it.

_**-Sara lovelymusic:**_ Hello my dear, welcome back! You can try to kill me but it won't be that easy lol. Aside from the emotional turmoil I put you through, I am glad you enjoyed the chapter. I just hope you can handle this chapter and what's to come. *Cracks knuckles and dons extra armor* Bring it!

_**-Firestorm2004: **_Hello and welcome to the story, glad you are enjoying it so far! Take as much time as you need to get caught up, this story isn't over quite yet so there'll be more to read from this point on.

_**-Dark Shining Light:**_ Hello there and welcome back; how are you doing? I am glad to hear that you liked the chapter and the ending of the first arc. You ready for more?

Now that that's all settled…let us begin!

XXXX

_**Arc 2: Alternate END…**_

XXXX

CHAPTER 1: Alone

XXXX

_**Five days after the battle with Tartarus…**_

Five days.

That was how long it had been.

Five, long days since the fight with the dark guild Tartarus had come to its climactic conclusion. And as Lucy Heartfilia sat at her desk, looking out her apartment window, she was certain nothing would be the same after it.

With a slightly somber look in her eyes, Lucy looked at the devastation that marred the town and reflected on the course of the battle and the days that had followed.

It had been one of the most devastating and desperate battles Lucy had ever found herself in; that Fairy Tail had ever found itself in. And because of this fighting…much had been lost.

The Fairy Tail building….gone.

The Town of Magnolia…half of it lay in ruins.

The numerous FACE bombs that dotted the landscape of Fiore-the weapons that had threatened to wipe out all magic on the continent-had been destroyed. The very reason for why Tartarus had launched their all-out attack on Fairy Tail had been stopped…meaning their efforts had been in vain.

Although he had been heavily wounded in the fighting, Acnologia had managed to escape and retreat back to wherever he had come from. He would return, one day, undoubtedly seeking vengeance for the pain that had befallen him. It was a thought that made a trickle of icy fear run up her spine.

And sacrifices had been made; each one terrible and heart breaking in their own way.

Lucy herself had sacrificed her most treasured spirit key, the key of her beloved friend Aquarius, in order to help save the others when their darkest hour had hit its mark.

Gray…he had been reunited with his long dead father only for Silver Fullbuster to finally be put to rest and pass on.

The dragons, Weisslogia, Skiadrum, Metalicana, Grandeeney, and Igneel were gone too. They had fought to save humanity…and had done so with their lives; entrusting the future unto the humans they had fought with.

And then there was Natsu…

Lucy involuntarily shuddered as she looked over her shoulder to the couch where her beloved dragon slayer sat on the couch, shoulders slouched forward and eyes starring off into space.

Oh gods Natsu.

Out of all of them, Lucy thought, it had been he who had suffered the most. In his fight alongside Gray against Mard Geer, the leader of Tartarus had casted a spell that had awoken a terrifying side of Natsu that no one had suspected…until it was too late.

END, Zeref's most powerful demon had been awoken inside of Natsu, thus turning him into E.N.D; Etherious Natsu Dragneel. But through sheer willpower alone, Natsu had resisted the curse that Zeref had placed on him when he was only a baby and caused his personality to fracture into three halves. There had been Natsu himself, tucked away in the back of his mind, "Good E.N.D"-as Lucy had come to think of the personality that had helped save her and her fellow mages-and "Evil E.N.D"; the demons true personality that had attempted to kill Zeref…and anyone else who got in his way.

The demon had nearly succeeded in killing her too, right after he had killed Natsu's beloved adoptive father; the dragon Igneel. Lucy winced at the memory and involuntarily rubbed her abdomen where the demon had stabbed her with its arm blade.

But rather than outright kill her, the demon opted to leave her for dead…a mistake that would prove to be his undoing.

In her pain, Lucy had found the strength and courage to revitalize her magic for one final, desperate push to stop E.N.D and save Natsu. Calling upon the power of The One True Magic-the power of love and the love she felt for Natsu- Lucy had caught the demon by surprise and had been able to vanquish him.

Thus saving Natsu and confessing her innermost feelings to him. Feelings the dragon slayer had returned.

In the time that the battle had ended, Natsu had not left her side. Lucy knew that on some level, Natsu was afraid that he would lose her like he almost had days earlier. She also knew of the nightmares that plagued Natsu's dreams at night or whenever he managed to fall asleep.

As they had laid in bed together, Lucy held Natsu close and whispered gentle assurances that everything would be alright and that she was there; that she was safe. Lucy could only begin to imagine what was going through Natsu's mind but no matter what happened, she would stay by his side.

They would walk down the road to recovery together, just like they had countless times in the past.

She loved Natsu with all her heart, nothing would ever change that. And as of right now, that was all that mattered to Lucy.

XXXX

Five days.

It had only been five days and no matter how hard he tried, he could not rid himself of the images that had seemingly burned themselves into his mind's eye.

Natsu Dragneel silently sat with shoulders slumped forward, hands resting his knees and his tired green eyes staring down at that very same set of hands.

Hands that had been forced to hurt.

Hands that had been forced to _kill_.

He balled those hands into fists as he clenched his eyes shut while grinding his teeth together. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the onslaught of images that assaulted his mind's eye. Images that weren't images at all, Natsu realized, but memories.

Memories of the demon that had possessed his body.

And they were always the same thing.

Memories of him stalking towards Wendy with the intent to kill her; to rip her apart with his bare hands. Memories of easily striking down Gajeel, Levy, Juvia and so many others.

Of single handedly fighting dragons, beating them down and basking in their pain before the two most horrible memories brought themselves to bear.

He saw Igneel before him as he soared at his adoptive father at high speed through the air; his fist cocked back and ready to strike as a terrible magic surrounded his hand and arm. He then brought his fist against his father, causing the dragon to roar in pain as the demon tore through him before he plummeted to the ground below.

"_Igneel…"_ Natsu thought as his hands and shoulders began to shake slightly, _"I…I…killed him…I…I killed my father!"_

And the next and final memory was equally disturbing.

He held Lucy up by the neck, her feet dangling off the ground as she desperately struggled in his grasp. The demon forced a low growl through his mouth.

"_N-Natsu," Lucy gasped as she clutched at his wrist with both her hands, "I-I know you're in there! I know you can hear me."_

Natsu could feel his grip tighten around Lucy's neck.

"_P-Please…f-fight h-him," Lucy pleaded, "P-Please…fight E.N.D!"_

But Natsu couldn't answer her. He was forced to watch as the demon created a blade from within his arm and ram it into Lucy's abdomen, making her scream in agony and cough up blood.

He could smell the coppery tang of the liquid in the air and it made him sick to his stomach.

It's knuckles now covered in Lucy's blood, the demon then swiftly twisted and ripped the blade from Lucy, causing her to cough up more blood and cry out in pain as he let her go and fall to the ground.

Falling in a heap and clutching at her bleeding abdomen, Lucy looked up at him through tear filled eyes. Eyes that were filled with pain, fear and betrayal. Absolute betrayal.

"_N-Na…Na…Natsu…" Lucy whispered._

The demon only growled and turned on his heel, his arm blade retracing back into his forearm.

"_**Stupid girl."**_The demon hissed with his voice and with those words, the demon flared his wings, and took off into the air…leaving Lucy to her fate.

"_Stop it!"_ Natsu thought as he brought his hands up to grip at his head.

_**You'll never be rid of me,**_ a voice hissed in the back of his mind.

"_Stop!"_ Natsu screamed in his mind, barring and gritting his teeth even further.

_**You'll never be rid of me,**_ the voice hissed again, seemingly amused at Natsu's frantic plea.

"Stop!" Natsu said aloud, stomping his foot down onto the floor, silencing the voice once more and snapping him out of his stupor.

"Natsu?" A gentle voice said, catching Natsu off guard as a he felt a hand gently rest on his shoulder.

His head snapped to the side to see Lucy kneeling down next to him with wide eyes and a deep frown set on her beautiful lips.

"L-Luce?" Natsu whispered, blinking rapidly.

"Natsu are you alright?" Lucy said, moving her hand so that it was now against his forehead.

"You're pale and sweating," Lucy said, "and…and you feel cold? Are you alright?"

Natsu could clearly see the concern in Lucy's eyes. He could smell the fear in her scent.

"I…I…" Natsu said, finding his voice.

If her were being honest, the dragon slayer wanted to say-he wanted to tell Lucy-that he felt tired, sick, cold, and upset. But at the same time he knew he couldn't tell her for she would only worry more if he did.

And he didn't want that, considering how things were already.

So he gave her the next best answer.

"I don't know." Natsu said as he rested his head in his hands, "I don't know what I'm feeling right now Luce."

It was a white lie…but a necessary one.

Lucy let out a gentle sigh as she moved her arms to wrap around Natsu and pull him close; her right hand holding onto his shoulder while her left moved to run her fingers through Natsu's hair. Natsu couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips.

It was a comforting sensation, her arms wrapped around him and fingers in his hair, which slowly put Natsu back at ease.

Lucy pulled back and turned Natsu's head so that they were face to face.

"Natsu," Lucy said, "I…I can't even begin to imagine what you went through. I know things are…difficult at the moment, but I wanted you to know that I'm here for you. Whatever is bothering you, you can talk to me about it."

Lucy smiled.

"We'll work through this…together." Lucy said as she rested her forehead against Natsu's.

"Yeah," Natsu said, returning the smile, "together."

XXXX

_**Later that night…**_

Natsu lay awake in bed, the moon glowing brightly in the sky and casting long, uneven shadows through the now quiet apartment.

His arm rested behind his head while his other lay flat atop the comforter. Happy lay curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed while Lucy…Lucy laid on her side, back facing him but still close enough that she was snuggled up to him.

Natsu's eyes slowly looked over to Lucy, watching the way her shoulder moved up and down with the rhythmic timing of her breathing. He moved his arm up to gently take a few of her golden locks in between his thumb, fore and middle finger and slowly rubbed his digits with the strands.

Lucy let out a pleased hum and mumbled something in her sleep. Natsu smiled and let his hand drop before looking up to the ceiling. He frowned as he closed his eyes and squeezed them shut and tried to make himself fall back to sleep.

It had little effect.

With a disgruntled groan, Natsu turned on his side and let his eyes drift about the apartment, in hopes that this would help him fall asleep once again.

He had awoken, half an hour earlier at three o'clock in the morning, after his eyes snapped open due to a particularly disturbing set of nightmares that left him silently breathless and in a cold sweat.

"_I wonder if counting sheep would have any effect on me."_ Natsu thought glumly before sighing again.

It had always been easy for him to fall asleep and stay asleep. Like a log, he had heard his friends comment from time to time. Especially when he slept in Lucy's ever comfortable and warm bed; more so when she was in it, next to him.

But now, ever since the battle with Tartarus had ended, ever since Lucy had ridden him of that _thing_, sleep seemed to be something of a commodity at this moment.

Natsu sighed in annoyance once again.

"Damn it." Natsu said, "Ugh, this sucks."

A floor board suddenly creaked and Natsu paused, his ear twitching at the sound and eyes becoming alert.

It would have been inaudible to anyone else, but not Natsu. His dragon slayer enhanced senses allowed him to hear most things other people would be able to. The shifting of this board could have been passed off as the building's structure or the floor shifting, the building had taken some minor damage in the fighting after all.

But something didn't sit well with Natsu.

The way the board sounded, it sounded as if there was weight being placed on the board. Weight…from a person. Sitting up in the bed and quickly looking to Lucy, Natsu quietly drew his legs out of bed and got up.

Had someone slipped into the apartment without noticing? Natsu doubted it but one could never be too sure.

Silently walking through the apartment, his enhanced eyes scanned over every surface of the apartment and went from room to room checking to see if a person had the gall to sneak into Lucy's home.

After completing his search, Natsu had come up empty.

There was nobody here.

He had imagined it.

"For crying out loud." Natsu grumbled and massaged his eyes. He really needed to get some sleep.

Sighing, Natsu walked over to the bathroom, flipped the light switch and turned on the faucet; letting the ice cold water splash across the sink. He bent down, and took a few quick sips of water from the faucet and then cupped his hands as he splashed the water across his face.

"Ah," Natsu said, "that's better."

He splashed his face again.

"Much better."

Turning off the faucet, Natsu looked up into the mirror…and saw a reflection that was not his own.

No, the reflection that stared back bore some resemblance to him…but it most certainly was not him.

The thing that starred back had a darker shade of salmon colored hair with the tips blackened like charcoal. The same went for his eyebrows which accented his black outlined eyes, which were narrowed in anger and glowed a fierce and penetrating crimson. A pair of horns curved forth from his head and passed just past his temples over a pair of pointed ears; the skin a dark shade of red same with the exposed skin of his face.

And the most fiercesome trait yet of the reflection was the jet black armor that covered his jaw had and the lower half of his maxilla with a maw of white, diamond shaped teeth took its place. The jaw was set firm as were the teeth, as if the bone and enamel were locked together in place.

But just as quickly as Natsu locked eyes with the reflection, the jaw snapped open without so much as a crack or sound and the thing let out roar of anger that shook Natsu to his core. With a startled cry, Natsu stumbled back and fell onto his haunches as a dark shadow manifested in the doorway of the bathroom.

Natsu scrambled back as the shadow moved forward, taking on a more human form as it stalked towards Natsu. Although it was still covered in shadow, Natsu could see the black armor that covered its arms, legs, chest and torso.

_**Hello…boy,**_ the thing hissed as its maw quirked in a twisted grin.

Natsu felt his blood go cold when the thing spoke. He knew what it was...it was E.N.D.

"Y-You," Natsu said in fear, "You! What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be dead!"

_**Oh no, on the contrary,**_ E.N.D said, _**I may be gone but dead? No…you and I are one in the same. We are two halves of the same being.**_

"No!" Natsu snarled, glaring at the demon, "Lucy stopped you and I believe her a hell of a lot more than you!"

E.N.D cackled, a terrible, grating sound.

_**Ah yes, the girl,**_ E.N.D said, _**she may have gotten rid of my physical form…but as for being stuck in your head…**_

E.N.D held his fingers up to his head as if he were pointing a gun to it, his eyes glowing brighter in sadistic glee.

_**That's a different story. I'm still in your head boy…we're still one in the same. You'll never be rid of me!**_

And then they were face, E.N.D suddenly appearing before Natsu with the latter being frozen in place.

_**Never!**_ E.N.D hissed.

"No…no," Natsu said, his hands shaking, "I don't believe you!"

E.N.D grinned again and Natsu knew that something horrible was about to happen.

_**Really now?**_ E.N.D said as he raised his hand up and clawed fingers flared, _**Explain this to me then.**_

Natsu felt his right arm rise up on its own accord. His eyes moved to the arm and he let out a terrified gasp. His fingers had become like the blades of knives, claw like in their appearance and overlapping at his knuckles as the same jet black armor that covered E.N.D's arm covered his own; his skin turning red and scale like beneath the armor.

It was the same arm that haunted his nightmares; the same arm that had been used to kill Igneel and hurt Lucy.

"No!" Natsu said, his voice terrified as his left arm slowly began to mirror his right, "NO!"

E.N.D simply cackled at Natsu, relishing in his torment.

Natsu frantically tried to rip and pry the armor from his skin in a desperate attempt to make it go away. But it always came back, the armor quickly reforming and the ripped flesh of his arms healing. And then something wet and warm dripped onto the exposed skin of his arms.

"W-What?" Natsu said as another drop fell onto his arm…and then another and then another. The liquid was soon falling like rain, covering him from head to toe. It was dark red in color and smelled like copper.

It was blood, Natsu realized in horror; he was being covered in blood.

The room was soon covered in the liquid as it began to swirl around Natsu in a vortex that soon merged with E.N.D, his eyes and voice spiraling around Natsu.

_**You'll never be rid of me,**_ E.N.D's voice taunted Natsu.

"NO!" Natsu screamed as he covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly.

_**You'll never be rid of me!**_

"SHUT UP!" Natsu screamed, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

_**You'll never be rid of me!**_

"N-Natsu?" A voice whimpered softly, making Natsu's eyes snap open to see Lucy standing before him.

"W-Why?" She whispered as blood began to leak past her lips while tears streamed from her eyes. A dark stain began to form in her nightgown where E.N.D…where Natsu had stabbed her with his arm blade.

"W-Why…Natsu?" Lucy said before collapsing to the ground in a rapidly expanding pool of blood.

"No…no…no!" Natsu said as his hands began to violently shake, before blood began to stream from the tips of his fingers and from his knuckles; it was Lucy's blood.

_**You'll never be rid of me,**_ E.N.D hissed again.

_**Never!**_

Natsu fell to his knees and screamed in agony, hands gripping his head.

"NOOOOO!"

XXXX

"Natsu!" Lucy said as she firmly shook Natsu's shoulder, "Natsu wake up!"

"What's wrong Lucy?" Happy said as he hovered in the air, "What's wrong with Natsu?"

The two had awoken to the sound of Natsu violently tossing and turning in his sleep as he whimpered and panted in what appeared to be fear. So Lucy set about trying to awaken Natsu from his torment, a task that appeared to be easier said than done.

"Natsu!" Lucy said again, "Natsu wake up, it's just a dream! It's just a dream!"

The fire mage continued to struggle beneath Lucy's grip. Grabbing both of Natsu's shoulders, Lucy gave the man a hard shake.

"Natsu!" Lucy said.

Natsu's eyes snapped open with an explosive gasp as he pushed Lucy off of him and fell to the floor with a heavy thud. His eyes snapped this way and that as sweat poured down his forehead, his breathing labored and rapid.

"Natsu," Lucy said gently, making Natsu's eyes snap to her, "Natsu…calm down, it was just a dream. You're here now. You're okay."

"Lucy…" Natsu said, "Lucy…I…I…"

"Natsu, what happened," Lucy said with a slight frown, "what happened? What's wrong?"

"I…I…" Natsu said before clutching his mouth with one hand and his stomach with the other.

He then bolted up and over to the bathroom where he promptly emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Lucy stood up and wrapped her silk robe around her body, walking over to the bathroom as the sound of Natsu retching came from the room.

Standing in the doorway, Lucy watched as Natsu's body shook before he slumped away and back against the bathroom wall. He then slumped his head into his hands as the sound of quiet sobs reached the sound of Lucy's ears. She slowly approached Natsu before kneeling down and wrapped her arms around him, rubbing her hand up and down his shoulder.

"Shhhh," Lucy said gently, "it's okay…it's okay."

"I…I can't take it." Natsu croaked, "It's been five days and I can't take it anymore! The memories won't stop; I can't stop them!"

"Natsu…" Lucy said.

"I thought I lost you," Natsu said, looking to Lucy with tear filled eyes, "I thought I lost you to that thing and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

"Natsu, E.N.D is gone now. It can't hurt you. It can't hurt me. It can't hurt anyone ever again. I have no idea why this is happening to you…but it'll stop. Things will get better…I promise."

Natsu was silent as he nodded in agreement with Lucy. She then stood, gently taking Natsu with her and guided him back to the bed as she turned off the light. Crawling back beneath the covers as Happy silently watched the two, Natsu had fallen back to sleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow. Resting her head against Natsu's chest, Lucy let her troubled mind be lulled to sleep by the steady beating of Natsu's heart and the warmth created by happy as snuggled in between their knees.

Although she had assured Natsu that everything would be alright, that they would work through this current time of pain and grief together, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that…those words wouldn't hold true.

That something was terribly wrong with Natsu…and that things were going to get worse before they better.

…She had no idea how right she was.

XXXX

_**The next day…**_

_**6 days after the battle with Tartarus…**_

Natsu found himself sitting back on Lucy's couch as he once again looked at his hands. He was alone in the apartment-alone with his thoughts-having opted out to not join Lucy when she went to visit Levy or while Happy had gone off to visit Carla after having done some fishing.

Lucy had casted a weary glance at him just before she left with Happy but had just as quickly hid it with a bright smile and a promise to cook something special for dinner once she returned.

She was good at that, Natsu mused. She was good at masking her concern with that beautiful smile of hers.

It made Natsu feel guilty.

He had seen her do that more than once with him in the past and hadn't really thought much about it until now. He hated knowing the fact that he had been and currently was the source of her worry, preferring her to be her usual, carefree self.

He doubted he would be seeing that side of her anytime soon. Not after what had happened six days ago. Not after what had happened last night.

That dream still vividly replayed itself over and over in his mind and each time it made Natsu sick to his stomach.

"What will it take," Natsu sighed dejectedly as he leaned forward, running his hand through his hair, "what will it take to make them stop?!"

He wanted so badly for the memories to stop.

To forget everything that had happened and for things to go back to the way they were.

It was an impossible wish.

"I wish you were here, Igneel." Natsu said as he felt his eyes sting with tears at the memory of his father.

"I wish you were here so badly…I could really use your help."

The image of the dragon suddenly filled Natsu's vision as the fire king roared in agony as he plummeted to the ground below.

"Damn it!" Natsu hissed, "Not agai-AGGHHHH!"

Natsu suddenly cried out in pain as a searing white hot pain flooded the veins in his right arm. Gripping the limb at the wrist, Natsu fell to his knees off the couch as his fingers began to curl in a claw like manner while the veins bulged out just beneath the skin.

Gritting his teeth against the searing agony, Natsu watched through narrowed eyes as something truly…horrifying happened to his arm.

It started at the tips of his fingers and then slowly worked its way beneath his left hand-still gripping his wrist-and stopped in the middle of his forearm. His fingers had become like the blades of knives, claw like in their appearance and overlapping at his knuckles as black armor covered his skin on the top while the skin turned red and scale like beneath the armor.

Just as it had the previous night in the nightmare.

"No…" Natsu said in panic, "no, this isn't happening! This _can't_ be happening!"

"**But it is."** A voice said from behind him.

Natsu spun around and promptly fell off the couch with a gasp of fear, scrambling back as he did so.

"**Hello Natsu. It's nice to see you in your human form for a change." **

Standing there, arms crossed and braced against the back of the couch was a figure that Natsu recognized. It was E.N.D, or at least, what he thought was E.N.D. The thing standing in front of him was made from living shadow as it had been in the nightmare but at the same time, it appeared to be translucent as if it were stuck somewhere in between reality .

"E.N.D." Natsu snarled in anger, still gripping his arm.

The shadow's glowing red eyes softened as the maw quirked up in a small smile, while the wings tucked behind his back flexed and moved to cover his back, shoulders and arms like a cape.

"**Not quite."** The shadow said as he moved away from the couch to stand over Natsu. He then cocked his head to the side, noting Natsu's arm.

"**It hurts…doesn't it?"** He said.

"Who are you?" Natsu said as his hand twitched, "What are you? And how am I talking to you; this shouldn't be possible!"

The shadow chuckled in an amused manner and rolled his eyes.

"**As if you don't already know. For the record, you are not losing your mind; I just couldn't watch you suffer any longer."** The shadow said, **"Tell me…do you remember what happened when you resisted END."**

Natsu's brow furrowed as his eyes became distant, as if he was looking at something else behind the shadow.

"I remember resisting it…it threatened to hurt the others; to hurt Lucy." Natsu said, "I don't remember much after that."

"**That is true,"** the shadow said, "**through sheer will power alone, you caused END's personality to fracture into three halves. There was you, there was E.N.D and then there was me. I was the dominant personality that awoke when your etherious form was created."**

Natsu blinked once and then twice, remembering something Lucy had told him about the battle.

"You…you're Good E.N.D! The one who helped the others, who helped Igneel and Lucy and stopped Mard Geer. I remember you now; I remember telling you to protect Lucy."

"**Good E.N.D?"** The shadow said as he gave a derisive snort, **"I prefer to just be called just END actually. Although I can understand the logic behind that name; you did help shape who I am after all. As to why I am here well, that's where things get complicated. I am the manifestation of all that remains of the "Good E.N.D" you spoke of. I exist because even though E.N.D was vanquished, his essence remains."**

"His essence?" Natsu said.

"**Yes, the presence that's been haunting your dreams and every waking moment of your day. The malice and hatred of our true form still lingers in your body and that is how he is able to torment you; how I am able to be here talking to you. He and you…you and I, we're all part of the same being."**

END said before he tapped Natsu's transformed arm. Surprisingly, END's finger made a hallow "tap" against the armor.

"**And that is also the reason as to why **_**this**_** is happening. E.N.D may be gone but since you still retain his essence, his power…our power, can still manifest." **

Natsu looked to his hand only to see the armor fade away and disappear. However in its place, a series of dark markings, similar to the flames of a fire tattoo, lingered on his skin. But in the blink of an eye, those markings were gone too.

"It's gone." Natsu said, flexing his hand in awe.

"**For now."** END said, "**But it will return…and the next time it may not be our arm that changes."**

"What?!" Natsu said.

"**Our true form is trying to break free of its confines. It's a violent transition that can happen at any time…unless it is reigned in and brought under control."**

"What'll happen if I don't?" Natsu said.

"**Best case, you scare everyone who sees you. Worst case, you kill the poor sap standing right next to you."** END deadpanned, making Natsu swallow hard.

"How…How can I stop this?" Natsu said as END stood back up.

"**You can't stop it."** END said, making Natsu's eyes widen in fear.

"But you said-"

"**I said that it can be controlled."** END said, cutting Natsu off, **"It is part of who you are; who we are. You can divert a raging river Natsu, but stopping it? No, the water will continue to flow elsewhere. The same principle applies to our powers. I can teach you how to master this power you wield and make it yours. In doing so, you will in turn be rid of the nightmares and decrease what little hold E.N.D has over you. But I can only do so much in my current state…it is up to you whether or not you are willing to go forwards with this."**

"I'll do it!" Natsu said, a hopeful look on his face.

"If it means stopping this thing from spreading, then I'll do anything!"

"…**Are you sure?"** END said, making Natsu pause, **"This isn't a decision that can be made in a split second. What I am offering you, will involve venturing down a long road of hardship. Hardship you may not be ready to face. This is why I ask, are you sure?"**

"Yes!" Natsu said, "I'll do anything! If it means stopping whatever the hell E.N.D is trying do to me, I'll gladly go with it; just please tell me what I need to do!"

END was quiet for a long time before sighing deeply.

"**In order for me to help you…you must leave this place behind and undertake this journey alone."** END said.

Natsu froze in his place, his jaw dropping and wide eyes blinking.

"I have to what?" Natsu said.

"**You must leave this town and your fiends behind. It is for your own good; for the good of those you care about."**

"The hell it is!" Natsu snarled, his temper flaring, "What the hell are you talking about?! I thought you were trying to help me and here you're telling me that in order to do that, I have to turn my back on my friends, my guild; the woman I love?!"

"**It is a necessary sacrifice." **END replied calmly.

"Bullshit!" Natsu snarled, "I nearly lost Lucy when I was fighting the creeps who called you "master" and I refuse to lose her again! I can't leave her; I refuse to do so!"

If Natsu planned on continuing his tirade any further, he was silenced when END flared his aura; a visible, miasmic and dark haze that filled the room and left him breathless and cold. Frost bean to form on the walls, ceiling and floor while Natsu could begin to see his breathe in the air.

"**This power you're feeling right now is just the tip of what I am capable of both unleashing and containing. This is the same power that is trying to break out of you like a rabid animal; the same power E.N.D used to kill your father and harm your friends. **

**Think about what would happen if you were to lose control of this power. E.N.D's essence could easily subdue you in one of those nightmares he likes to assault you with and cause you to kill…whom I wonder? Gray, your best friend and the closest thing you have to a brother? Erza, the woman who is as much a teacher to you as she is a sister? Happy, the friend you helped raise and who has stood by your side since childhood? And then there is Lucy…and I know I don't need to tell you who she is to you.**

**And what if it isn't just them? What if E.N.D causes you to lose control and slaughter not just your guild mates but everyone man, woman and child who lives in this town? What would you do then?**

**I still retain memories of committing such acts hundreds of years before your ancestors were placed on this earth by creation. I killed people by simply flicking my wrist. I slaughtered hundreds of innocent people without a shred of mercy or quarter. I made cities crumble overnight. I did this and much more when I was in control of my powers…the powers you now possesses; the power to turn a person to ash or summon the fiercest of hell's demons. Just imagine what would happen now if you lost control. I'm pretty sure Lucy wouldn't be able to save you this second time around."**

Natsu was shaking not just from END's overpowering aura but also at what he had been told. The words had hit home and Natsu looked down to his shaking hands before squeezing his eyes shut as he attempted to stop his tears.

He knew END was right; knew what he spoke was the truth…but he didn't want to hear it.

He was sick.

It was a sickness he felt course through his veins and sink deep into his bones whenever he awoke from a nightmare. There was something in his mind and deep beneath his skin that was desperately trying to claw its way out and get loose.

And there was no way he could stop it. At this rate, he'd be back to where he started; a monster hell bent on destroying all just so it could die in the end.

And Natsu didn't want that.

He didn't want to turn against his friends again.

He didn't want to turn against Lucy; to break her heart once more or worse, try to kill her.

But at the same time, he didn't want to leave her behind. He loved her. And the last thing he wanted to do was throw away that love and make it seem like it had meant nothing to him.

He couldn't do that to her…he couldn't do that to Lucy.

The aura suddenly disappeared and END knelt before Natsu as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, making him look up to the demon who now sported a melancholic glint in his eyes; his maw set in a deep frown.

"**I tell you this, not to scare you Natsu; but to help you."** END said, **"You have to realize what is at stake here. Believe me, if I were my old self we wouldn't be having this conversation. But this is not the case. I want to help you Natsu; I want to make things right."**

"Why?" Natsu said as his tears silently spilled from his eyes, "Why do you care so much?"

"**Apart from me being a part of you, making it only natural to care about you're wellbeing, I have another reason why I am offering this help to you. I remember the events of six days ago. I remember how your comrades fought tooth and nail to try and help you; the belief they still held in you. I remember the love and unconditional trust Lucy put in you. And most of all, I remember how treated me; not as a monster…but as-in a strange way-a comrade. They were grateful for the help I gave them and for the fact that so long as I lived, there was a chance of saving you."**

END smiled a small smile.

"**It made me feel…human."** The shadow of the former demon said, **"As cliché as that sounds, it's the truth. And I'd hate to see all of that be lead to nothing. I'd hate to see you lose everything."**

"…But you're asking me to give up all that I know and love." Natsu said.

"I…can't do that. I'd break their hearts; I'd break Lucy's heart. That's just as worse as losing everything."

"**Would you rather see them dead…or broken hearted but alive, Natsu?"** END said.

"Can't I ask her to come with me?" Natsu said, "Can't I make her understand?"

"**No, I'm sorry."** END said, **"The risk is far too great. You're likely to kill Lucy if she came with us. We have to do this alone. It has to be this way."**

Natsu bit his lip, averting his gaze from the shadow. END slowly began to fade away as he took his hand from Natsu, who remained absolutely still.

"**I will leave you for now…to think about this. But do not think too long."** END said…and then he was gone.

After a moment, Natsu slowly rose from his slumped position and sat back down on the couch, burying his face into his hands and silently began to cry.

He remained like that, until Lucy and Happy found him like that an hour later.

XXXX

Natsu lay awake in bed, just as he had the previous night before; starring up at the ceiling while the moon casted it's bright light and dark shadows into the apartment.

Happy was curled up at his feet while Lucy lay on her side, facing him and her left arm resting on his chest. His own arm held her at the waist, keeping Lucy close.

He had been a wreck when Happy and Lucy had found him on the couch. They were immediately at his side, asking what was wrong.

Knowing he couldn't bring himself to tell Lucy or the blue haired feline the truth of what had transpired between him and END, Natsu had lied and said he had fallen asleep and had had a nightmare again. Happy had believed Natsu but Lucy…well, she had comforted Natsu but at the same time, he could see that she suspected there was another reason behind Natsu's breakdown.

Dinner had been a quiet affair with Natsu hardly eating or speaking to Lucy, so wrapped up in his thoughts had he been.

Despite Lucy's gentle prodding on the matter, on what was really bothering her, Natsu had either given a half assed answer or dodged the subject all together.

Lucy saw that she wouldn't be getting anything out of Natsu this time around and had dropped the issue for the night. She had given him a look saying that they'd be coming back to the topic though soon. Lucy wanted answers, Natsu could see that much.

After getting ready for bed, Natsu had surprised Lucy by pulling her close once they got settled under the covers. He gave her a small, reassuring smile that Lucy had returned and soon enough, the spirit mage was fast asleep.

But not Natsu.

He lay awake with his thoughts.

Thoughts of what END had told him and the two daunting choices presented before him; fall into madness and become a monster once again, or leave his friends-his nakama-behind and become stronger to prevent a catastrophe.

The answer was an obvious one. But Natsu continued to wrack his brain for possible alternatives or solutions to his problem; for any way out of this nightmare.

He had come up empty each time with only the sensible option left before him; leave and break his curse, despite the contempt his friends and Lucy would most certainly feel for him.

He didn't want to go. Gods knew he didn't…but it was the only thing he could do.

"_Why did it have to come to this?"_ Natsu thought, _"Why did everything have to go to hell? Why couldn't things have stayed the way they were?"_

Natsu rolled onto his side so that he could look at Lucy; to look at her sleeping face.

He didn't want to leave her. He was just truly starting to understand the feelings he felt for Lucy and he wanted more time to further explore those feelings; to see what would become of the love they felt for each other. But he was running out of time now, for both himself and for her.

He could only imagine what nightmare E.N.D would force upon him this time. Would it be of him trying to kill Lucy again or would he awaken to find that he had transformed into the demon and had eviscerated Lucy in her sleep.

Natsu frowned with a shudder and gently moved a stray lock of Lucy's hair behind her ear, making her hum contently in her sleep.

"I know what I have to do," Natsu thought, "in order to keep her safe…to keep everyone else safe, I have to do this."

She would be furious with him-hell, she would probably hate him-but it was for the best. As horrible as it sounded, it was the truth.

"_She'll hate me, but the others will be there for her. Fairy Tail will be there for her. And she'll be safe. That's all that matters to me. She'll be safe until I am able to return to her."_ Natsu thought.

He then sighed and looked to the moon, pulling Lucy closer to him while he ran his fingers through her hair.

"_I promise, I'll rid myself of E.N.D once and for all. I'll come back, stronger than I was before…so I can protect you and the others I promise."_

Natsu looked down to Lucy and gently kissed the top of her head, her natural scent and the sweet smell of her shampoo flooding his nostrils.

"I promise." Natsu muttered into Lucy's scalp.

"…_END,"_ Natsu thought, _"Can you hear me?"_

"…_**I'm here Natsu."**_ END replied, _**"What is your decision?"**_

"_I want to become stronger. I don't want to put Lucy or anyone else I care about in danger. I want to get a hold back on my life."_

"_**Are you sure?"**_ END asked.

"_I've never been surer of anything in my whole life."_ Natsu said.

"…_**I understand. I'll do my best to keep the nightmares at bay for tonight. But we must leave tomorrow, so pack only what you need so as to travel lightly; we need get a head start on your training as soon as possible…are we clear?"**_

"_Yes."_ Natsu thought before he closed his eyes and held Lucy close as if his life depended on it.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I'm sorry."

XXXX

_**The 7**__**th**__** day…**_

_**Exactly one week after the battle with Tartarus…**_

Natsu sat at his usual spot on the couch while he watched Lucy dig her hand around in her purse her house keys.

Natsu smiled as Lucy huffed in frustration.

"I know I put them in here somewhere." Lucy said while Happy snickered.

"Uhm, Luce?" Natsu said, catching Lucy's attention before he pointed the dresser near the door; where her keys rested near a picture frame.

"Oops." Lucy said sheepishly as she picked up her keys.

"I just need to run out for some quick errands so I'll be back soon okay?" Lucy said.

"Okay." Natsu said before looking Happy.

"Happy, why don't you go with her an extra hand? I'm sure she'll appreciate the help so much that she'll buy you a fresh fish." Natsu said while Happy perked up off the couch.

"Really?!" Happy said in excitement as his wings popped out of his back.

"If I must." Lucy said with smile while she rolled her eyes. In his excitement, the blue winged cat was already out the door and flying down the stairway outside.

"Why did you ask him help me?" Lucy said as she looked to Natsu, "Couldn't you have joined me instead?"

"It's just a few things right?" Natsu said as he stood up, "No sense in me tagging along if you don't need that much help with everything."

"Oh, you're such a gentleman." Lucy said sarcastically while Natsu snorted.

The dragon slayer was quiet for a moment as he stared at Lucy, his eyes moving up from the tips of her toes to the golden strands of her hair before finally focusing on her doe like, chocolate brown eyes.

Lucy blushed and nervously fidgeted, noticing Natsu's wandering eyes.

"What is it?" Lucy asked while Natsu shook his head.

"Nothing." Natsu said as he walked over to Lucy before gently pulling her close to him and placing a kiss on her lips.

It was a gentle and tender gesture that was packed with emotion all the same. Lucy felt her toes curl at the sensation and gasped lightly when Natsu pulled back.

"I love you," Natsu said, resting his forehead against hers, "I want you to know that."

"…What's wrong?" Lucy said, quickly recovering upon hearing Natsu's words.

"Nothing." Natsu said, "I've just been out of it lately…and I feel like I haven't told you that as much as I should."

Lucy blushed but maintained eye contact with Natsu.

"Are you sure that's the reason?" Lucy asked.

Natsu smiled and pecked Lucy on the lips before stepping back.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Natsu said, "Now get going, I'm sure Happy is waiting for you."

Lucy paused for a moment, before smiling with a nod of her head.

"Alright," Lucy said, "we'll be back soon okay. I'll make something special for dinner tonight."

"Sounds good." Natsu said and watched Lucy exit and close the door behind her.

He stood in place long after he heard her footsteps fade away, long after he heard her walk off down Strawberry Street.

Sighing heavily, Natsu slowly trudged over to Lucy's desk and braced his hands against it, holding back the tears that filled his eyes. Taking a series of calming breathes, Natsu picked up a blank sheet of paper and Lucy's pen as he began to put the two together. There was something he needed to do first before he packed his backpack.

It took him a bit to form the words he was thinking of, but once he was finished, Natsu set the folded letter on the small table in the center of the apartment. He then went about the apartment, grabbing "only what he needed" as END had told him and packed his backpack.

Shouldering said pack, Natsu took one last glance around the apartment before deeply inhaling Lucy's lingering scent, filling his senses with it and further committing it to memory. He didn't when or if he'd get a chance to do so again.

Natsu's eyes moved to the note he'd left on the table and after a minute, removed his scarf as he folded it neatly and set it next to the paper.

Steeling his nerves for what was to come, Natsu opened the window to Lucy's apartment-the same window he had come through so many times in the past- and scaled on out and onto the roof.

"_Alright END,"_ Natsu thought, _"I'm ready."_

"_**Alright Natsu,"**_ the former demon answered back, _**"head west for now. From there, we'll make our way north."**_

"Got it." Natsu muttered to himself.

Taking a final look at his hometown, Natsu began to move from rooftop to rooftop as he made his way to the outskirts of Magnolia Town.

"I promise I'll come back." Natsu said through gritted teeth but kept his gaze determined.

"I promise, I'll come back to you Lucy."

XXXX

With a slight rattle, the door the apartment as Lucy nudged the door open with her foot while pulling her key from the lock.

"Natsu we're back!" Lucy called out.

In one arm, she held a paper brown bag filled with a few groceries and other items she had bought at the market and stores while Happy fluttered in behind her, both of his paws holding two smaller bags.

"Natsu, look!" Happy called out, "Lucy got me my favorite fish to eat for dinner tonight!"

They received only silence as a response.

"Natsu!" Lucy called out again, "Did you hear me?!"

Still no response. Lucy let out a sigh and set her bag down next to the dresser near the door. She expected to see him asleep on the couch or bed but saw both spots vacant. The pink haired dragon slayer was nowhere to be seen.

Noticing something on her coffee table, Lucy furrowed her brow and moved to see what it was.

"Natsu?" Happy called out, scratching his head as he looked around.

"Are you here?"

Maybe he went to the bathroom and fell asleep, the cat mused. He had been having some really crazy dreams lately and looked really tired so the cat didn't put it past Natsu to fall asleep while on the john.

But further investigation killed off that theory pretty quickly, considering the bathroom door was open and the light was off.

"Lucy, Natsu isn't here," Happy said as he turned around the face the spirit mage, "where did he go?"

But the feline received no answer.

Not when Lucy stood stock still at the table, her one hand holding Natsu's scarf in one hand while the other…held a letter.

Lucy's eyes were wide as they moved from side to side down the letter. Her hands began to shake, her lip began to tremble and her breathing became panicked.

"No…" Lucy whispered.

She read the letter again a second time.

"No…" Lucy said aloud, her voice choking up as tears began to slowly fill her eyes.

"Lucy?" Happy said, approaching his friend and looking up at her in a concerned manner.

"What's wrong?"

"No…no…no!" Lucy repeated, her tone become more frantic while her shaking increased.

Despite Natsu's handwriting being above subpar, Lucy was able to read it clearly enough:

_Dear Lucy,_

_By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. _

_I am sorry I had to leave you like this, I really am. But I'm sick…there's something wrong with me and I have to get better. But in order to do that, I have to go away for a bit. I don't know how long that will be…but I promise that when I return, I'll be stronger. I'll be better._

_I would ask you to come with me; gods know I wanted to ask you! But it would be too dangerous for you. The risk of me losing control is too great and I don't want you to get involved._

_I don't want to hurt you again._

_This is for the best…for both our sakes._

_But I promise you; I will come back to you._

_No matter what happens, I will come back to you._

_I love you, I always will._

_-Natsu_

_P.S. Happy, I need you to look after Lucy while I'm gone. I'm counting on you to make sure she stays safe until I get back._

_I love you buddy. Stay safe and strong._

She read the words on the paper a third time, then a fourth time, and then a fifth time.

She couldn't believe what she was reading; she refused to!

Lucy let go of the letter but still held Natsu's scarf as she bolted out of the apartment at break neck speed.

"Lucy!" Happy called out, but the spirit mage didn't hear him.

"No!" Lucy panted as she ran out of the apartment building and down Strawberry Street.

"No!" Lucy said, "Not like this, not like this!"

She had to find him; she had to find Natsu!

"Why?!" Lucy cried out as hot tears streamed down her face, "Natsu, why!?"

A slight dip in a cobblestone caused Lucy to trip and fall forward with a surprised cry. She landed in a heap with a pained groan and laid like that for a minute before she pushed herself up on shaking hands and knees.

"Natsu…" Lucy sobbed.

She pulled his scarf close and began to sob into it, her cries becoming muffled by the fabric. And then, with a pained, shaking sob, Lucy gripped her head and screamed; a pained mixture between a cry and Natsu's name.

"NATSU!" Lucy screamed.

XXXX

…

…

_**One year later**_

…

XXX

_**X792**_

_**Crocus; the capital city of Fiore…**_

The early morning light filtered in through a set of windows and into a small apartment set at the center of the capital of Fiore.

The light in turn, roused the occupants of single bed from their slumber. Both arched their backs and stretched their limbs with a series of grunts and popping of bones. One was a blue haired cat, who rubbed the sleep out of his eyes while the other was a beautiful woman with long and flowing blond hair.

The only thing these woman and the cat shared in common were the fairy styled marks that were tattooed onto their hand and back respectively.

"Good morning Lucy." The cat said.

"Good morning to you too." The woman said with a gentle hum.

They were Lucy Heartfilia and Happy the Exceed; both former mages of the once proud Fairy Tail Guild.

"You ready for today?" Lucy asked as she swung her feet out of bed. She hadn't changed that much in the past year, with only her hair growing a couple of inches longer than it had been.

"You know it Lucy!" Happy said in his usual chipper manner.

It had been one year since that day.

One year since Natsu had disappeared; leaving Lucy, Happy and Fairy Tail behind.

Fairy Tail…

It had been one year since the guild that had become Lucy's beloved home had disbanded. It had happened the day after Natsu had left and had been something Lucy hadn't been expecting. Then again, no one really had.

As the days passed, the members of Fairy Tail had begun to leave Magnolia Town; they began to leave to walk their own paths.

The loss of Natsu, her friends and Fairy Tail, had been a devastating blow to Lucy. The same could be said to Happy. Natsu and Happy had been together since Happy had been hatched from his egg years ago; Natsu having practically raised him.

But to Lucy, the blow to her heart had been more than the loss of her friend. She had confessed to Natsu, had admitted feelings she had been denying and blind to until it seemed like he would be taken away from her.

And he had accepted that confession and had returned those feelings. She loved him and he loved her; that's how it should have been…shouldn't it?

…But it hadn't.

And Lucy had slipped into a depression that to this day, she hadn't really come out of.

She was always thinking of her friends and Natsu; wondering if they were safe and alright. If he was safe and alright.

But she knew she couldn't wallow in her sadness forever; she had to follow her own path as well.

So she found a new job, had moved to Crocus and started anew. Now…she did her best to put a smile on her face and give each day the same passion she had given when she had been a mage of Fairy Tail.

And this day would prove to be no different; especially since it was the final day of the Grand Magic Games.

Lucy, after working a modeling stint, had become an editor in training with Sorcerer Magazine and had worked under the watchful eye of Fairy Tail's number one fan/reporter: Jason.

And as such, the two of them were covering the Games for the magazine. Jason had even gotten Happy work as a mascot for the magazine; cheering on the contestants and representing the magazine.

This year's games weren't as exciting considering none of the major magic guilds had made an appearance but it was entertaining none the less. Knowing she had a schedule to stick to, Lucy went about her morning routine with Happy before setting off work.

"Who do you think is going to win this time Lucy?" Happy asked as he flew beside Lucy.

"To be honest Happy, I think it's going to be Millione." Lucy said as she adjusted her bag.

"Really?" Happy said, "Those guys don't seem so tough."

"Appearances aren't everything Happy." Lucy said with a smile.

"…I bet Natsu could beat 'em." Happy said, making Lucy's smile falter a bit.

"Or maybe Gray or Gajeel. Definitely Laxus. Or maybe Levy; I bet she got strong too."

Happy's mentioning of her former guild mates made Lucy's heart ache slightly. She hadn't had contact with anyone from the guild; she couldn't work up the courage to do so. It had actually been one of the main reasons why she had teamed up with Jason. She used the access given to her by the magazine to look up everyone, keep tabs on them and try to figure out where they were. There had been those that had disappeared though and occasionally, she'd hear a whisper in the wind and try to pin point a location but too little success.

And no matter how hard she searched, one person eluded her the most. There had been no word or trace of Natsu. It was as if he had completely vanished off the face of Earhtland.

It hurt, it really did, but Lucy still held onto the hope that one day, Fairy Tail would come back together.

For that was all she could do; hope.

Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, Lucy put on her best smile and nodded in agreement with Happy.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Happy. But for now, let's focus on the games and give it our all!" Lucy said.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

XXXX

"It's the last day of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati Lola's voice echoed across the loudspeakers and lacrima vision, "Soon the number one guild in Fiore will be decided!"

"Going head to head in a final battle is Dullahan Head and Skull Millione!"

"Cool! Cool! Cool!" Jason said as he grinned in excitement while Happy and Lucy stood next to him.

"We're sure going to get a good article out of this one aren't we guys?!"

"Aye!" Happy said as he waved two flags with the Sorcerer Magazine logo printed on them.

But Lucy didn't answer, seemingly starring at nothing.

"Uh, earth to Lucy; did you hear me?" Jason said.

"Lucy, you're zoning out again!" Happy said.

"Huh?! What?!" Lucy said as she gave her neck an embarrassed rub.

"I said, we're going to get a good article out of this final fight right?" Jason said while Lucy turned her attention back to the fight.

"To be honest, it's all a farce." Lucy said.

"What are you talking about? Skull Millione may have won all their fights but they've been coming in behind all the way." Jason said, "Maybe now they'll-"

"Like I said, it's a farce." Lucy said, cutting off Jason, "According to the notes I've gathered, Skull Millione has been hiding their true power in preparation for this final fight. Each member is stronger than their counterparts in Dullahan Head."

"W-WHAT!?" Jason said, his jaw dropping open in shock at Lucy's observation.

"Looks like they wanted to up their bookies profits, huh?" Lucy said, "See, this fight was over before it even started."

"Aye, looks like you were right Lucy!" Happy said, "Look!"

"WHAAAAT!?" Jason said turning his attention back to the battle…or what had been a battle.

Sure enough, Skull Millione had wiped the floor with their opponents without so much as suffering a scratch.

"COOOOL!" Jason called out in excitement.

"That was unexpected." Yajima said simply over his microphone.

"AN UNBELIEVABLE VICTORY FOR SKULL MILLIONE!" Chapati called out, "THEY ARE NOW FIORE'S NUMBER ONE GUILD!"

"Nice call on that Lucy, you never cease to amaze." Jason said while Lucy simply sighed. Happy gave her a comforting pat on her shoulder and had a similar look on his face.

"I just can't believe these guys are now number one." Lucy lamented, "It just feels…wrong. It's not like how it was last year."

"Yeah," Happy said, "these guys are really lame."

Happy had a point, Lucy noted. They were shameless yahoo's who only cared about winning the prize money of the games. There was no sportsmanship, no camaraderie…it was just one pointless fight after another.

_**BAM!**_

An explosion flared to life from within one of the archways of the arena directly above one of the audience areas. Cries of surprise and fear replaced the ones of joy that had been coming from all gathered, as Lucy, Happy and Jason's heads snapped to the source of the explosion just as it happened.

It had come from the arch above their area.

Just as the fiery plume was billowing out, a smaller ball of fire rocketed out and crashed down onto the floor of the arena grounds with a thick trail of smoke following behind it.

The members of Skull Millione had scattered just before the fire ball had crashed and now all eyes were turned to what had caused the disturbance.

Slowly, the smoke began to clear to reveal a figure crouching in a small crater of scorched earth with something pinned beneath it. As the smoke cleared, the figure took on a more human appearance while the thing beneath its knee resembled a severely burned out charbroiled briquette; in fact it was crumbling to ash before their very eyes.

"What…What is that?" Lucy said as a set of wings appeared on the figures back and flared out, dispersing the rest of the smoke. The new comer then flared its aura, the force behind its magical prowess touching all.

Lucy shuddered at the sensation. This guy was powerful but at the same time…there was something familiar about him.

"Lucy, look at his right shoulder!" Happy cried out.

Following Happy's outstretched paw, it took the spirit mage a second to realize what she was looking at. And then she gasped in shock.

"A Fairy Tail mark?!" Lucy said.

She then began to look at this new arrival; really look at him. He was tall and muscular with red colored skin beneath…jet black armor.

Lucy blinked as her hands gripped the stone railing in front of her.

"It…it can't be…" Lucy said aloud, her hands and shoulders shaking.

She recognized that armor. Recognized the form of the man's body as he rose to his full height. Her eyes were drawn to a head with salmon pink hair tied back into a loos pony tail; the tips of the hair having turned black.

But she would recognize that hair anywhere.

"Is it really…is it really…" Lucy said as her heart hammered in her ears.

And then he turned around, giving her a good look at his face. Lucy gasped aloud, as did Happy, while tears brimmed in her eyes.

"NATSU!?" Lucy cried out.

Standing before her on the arena floor, was the man who had disappeared; the man who she still loved after all this time.

It was Natsu.

But his blazing green eyes were not focused on her. They were focused on something else.

Something let out a piercing cry that was a horrible mix between a scream and a roar of anger. Something leapt down to the arena floor from overhead and Lucy only got a glancing look at it. She saw armored scales, a tail and claws and then the thing-the monster-was charging Natsu. Surprised cries from without the arena caught Lucy's attention and she looked up to see several more these monsters scale the arena walls and audience seats as they rushed towards the center of the arena.

They ignored everyone else. They only focused on Natsu as they joined their leader in charging Natsu on the arena floor.

Natsu for his part took a defensive stance as an armored maw covered his upper mouth and jaw while his eyes glowed a brilliant, shamrock green.

Fire formed on his left hand while a single blade emerged and extended from within his right as the fire mage braced for a fight.

"Bring it on!" Natsu called out, "I'm all fired up!"

XXXX

A/N: And so ladies and gentlemen…how was that? I know some of you were looking forward to this second, alternate half of the story, so I hope it's off to a good start. I had meant to post this Saturday, but I got busy helping my mom prep for Easter with my family and I got to work an extra shift at work (more money for the paycheck!).

So yeah, still busy, what else is new?

So just to clarify one last time, this second-and final-arc will be set in line with the more current manga chapters with minor changes added from here on out. In time, things will eventually lead up to Natsu and Lucy confronting the AVATAR guild, so that means you can expect Natsu and Gray to go head to head in the coming chapters.

As I said, I don't know how long this next half will be…but I intend to have as much fun with it as I can and I hope you guys will join me for the ride none the less.

So, next chapter will focus on Natsu and what he's been up to the past year and the events leading up to his return. Expect to see a new take on END from Natsu's perspective and a new demon emerge from Zeref's bag of nightmares.

In the meantime, expect me to update "Vendetta" and "Kids: Knight's Tale," within the coming weeks.

Next time; Alt. END Chapter 2: Beatdown

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	7. Alt END Chpater 2: Beatdown

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

Back by popular demand (and by my own rampant thoughts) I bring you the next chapter in the second arc for "When the END comes!"

I know is said I was going to update my other stories, which I am working on doing, but after leaving off last time and because my mind has been thinking things over, I had to get this next chapter out before moving onto something else. I swear, after this chapter I'll update my two other stories!

So, last time we got a look at how bad things had gotten for Natsu even though E.N.D had been vanquished from his body. With his powers now out of control, "Good END" made a surprising comeback and vowed to aid Natsu…but to do so, he would have to leave Fairy Tail and Lucy behind until he tamed his new power. We flash over now to Natsu, to see what events led up to him making his return to Crocus, the Grand Magic Games and most of all; Lucy.

Two quick notes before I move onto my usual recognition response.

One: for this chapter, and onwards, expect Natsu to exhibit some OOC'ness due to his situation concerning END.

Two: if you're having problems imagining what the soon to be mentioned "Hunter" demon looks like, I was inspired by the "Armored Kantus" for _Gears of War 3, _the "Advanced Hybrid" from _Resistance 2 _and the "Predalien", from the _Aliens vs. Predator_ films. Combine those three together and you have one hell of a monster.

And as usual, here is a shout out to you wonderful readers who left a review for the previous chapter:

_**Eien ni Touko: **_Hello and welcome back to the story! Yep, "Good END" is back and he's working to help Natsu. I'm happy that you're happy! Chills you say? And you were reading this at 1AM…in spooky conditions? Yep, I can see a spook happening here and there…or maybe…because…there's something; RIGHT BEHIND YOU! Nah, just kidding! X)

_**jbadillodavila: **_Hola, como estas? Me alegro de que haya disfrutado el último capítulo. Sí, sólo puedo imaginar el tipo de estragos Gajeel va a levantar. Especialmente desde que Levy y Lily están con él. * tos * Gajevy * tos *

_**Wacko12: **_Hey dude, how's it going! Glad you liked the chapter. Yeah, I type a little fast and it plays tricks on my eyes. I'll probably do an edit sometime soon if I can. Thanks for the head up.

_**Johnny Spectre:**_ Hello and welcome back! Glad to see you like the little mixing of this story with the Canon's plot; it's fun writing it!

_**G276:**_ Hello and welcome back! G276 or Gir276; so long as I know who you are and have a way of addressing you, that's fine by me. I hope this update and the chapter itself are to your liking. You seemed really hyped up for this chapter so I hope you enjoy it.

_**ftx777x:**_ Hello and welcome back! Glad you're on the edge because there's plenty more where that came from!

_**Sara lovelymusic:**_ Hello my dear and welcome back. You were in school while reading this…and nearly screamed? Oh my. Sorry for that, I knew it was an emotional scene to begin with but I guess I had no idea what to expect with my scene. Ehehehehe…whoops! Still, glad you are enjoying things thus far!

_**Guest:**_ Hello and welcome to the story, glad you like it so far 3

_**HazelDragonNora:**_ Hello and welcome back. I speak several forms of fanboy and fangirl but that my dear is a new one for me; care to translate? X) Wow, I had no idea my writing would provoke such a response from you. I'm glad you are really enjoying this story, I really am. It makes me happy to know that people enjoying my writing as much as I do creating it. Yep, this story won't be ending any time soon…so save your tears for the end! I try to make character more human because it grounds them more in reality. It makes it…more adept to my writing style. I wouldn't say detached for Natsu…he's more…unfocussed. And yep, this second half will be blending the current canon into things so it'll be fun to see what I can do from here on out. As for your questions…well, I assure you, they'll be answered in chapters 3 and 4 so sit tight; you'll like what I'm thinking of.

_**fallout-boy97:**_ Hello and welcome back! Last call for the HYPE train! I repeat; the HYPE train is now boarding!

_**Sailor Pandabear:**_ Hello! Glad you liked the chapter!

So now that that is taken care of…let's continue!

XXXX

_**Arc 2: Alternate END…**_

XXXX

CHAPTER 2: Beatdown

XXXX

_**X792…**_

_**1 Week before the start of the Grand Magic Games**_

_**Southwestern Mountains, Fiore…**_

To the southwest of the capital city of Crocus, nestled deep within the great mountain range that guards that particular region of the country, and amongst mighty pine and cedar trees, one will find a quaint, moderately sized town by the name of "Crag's Vista."

Named after the rocky crags that lead into the nearby valley upon which the town overlooks, Crag's Vista is a trading town frequented by merchants, woodsman and those who are just passing through and are in need of a night's rest. The town, if comparisons were to be made, was half the size of Magnolia Town to the west but was centered in a way so that it looked out to the valley beyond rather than sitting next to a lake like Magnolia.

At the center of the town, is the _"Black Bear Inn and Tavern"_, a cozy, family operated business frequented by both local and traveler. It is two stories in design with a first floor consisting of an office, the tavern bar, kitchen, storage and small dining area and a series of showers and bathes set towards the back. The second floor is devoted to rooms for those who wish to spend the night or a few days in the town.

It is the hub where all in the town gather to chat with friends, do business and swap stories from the nearby towns.

Now, the family that runs the inn, along with their staff and the locals, are accustomed to seeing strangers come and go. But on this day, a day that started like any other, the keepers of the inn and the residents of Crag's Vista, were about to meet a rather unusual traveler…

…With a rather unwelcomed guest following not too far behind him.

XXXX

"Shannon!" A middle aged woman called out from behind the bar counter, "Shannon, sweetie!"

She was a tall, stocky woman with chestnut brown hair that was just starting to show signs of graying while a name embroidered on her apron red; AMELIA.

"Yeah mom?!" A girl, around sixteen years of age answered while bringing a tray of empty mugs to a staff member working the other side of the bar.

"I've got the order ready for the man at the booth, would you bring it to him please?!" Amelia said.

"Got it mom!" Shannon said as she wiped her hands on her own apron and went over to her mother who handed her a new tray but this time with a fresh mug of ale, a plate with a hot meal and utensils.

Shannon was of average height for her age with warm colored skin, freckles, wavy brown hair, pale blue eyes and a pleasant smile. She wore a well-used apron that was tied around her neck and over a white blouse with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a green, plaid skirt that stopped just below her knees.

She made her way through the packed tables, greeting friends and locals who called out to her, before reaching the far left corner of the dining area where a man sat silently at a darkened booth; his foot propped up on the table.

Shannon paused for a minute to look at the man. The booth where he sat was in a not particularly well lit area of the tavern-something her father swore he would fix every summer but had yet to-and therefore, his features were obstructed by shadow.

Shadow that seemed intent on hiding him...or rather, he was bending the shadow's will in order to do so. Shannon quickly dismissed such a silly thought however. He wore a black cloak, khaki cargo pants and leather boots that much she knew though, but other than that, it was hard to get a good look without arousing suspicion.

He had appeared earlier that morning, seemingly out of nowhere. One minute there was no one in the dining area and then the next, her father had caught him sauntering to the booth and sitting down. He had been there ever since, minding his own business while hardly drinking the ale that had been given to him.

The scent of the meal, a roasted chicken breast with rice and fresh greens, brought Shannon back to her task at hand. Approaching the booth, Shannon wondered if the man had fallen asleep; he was as still as a grave marker. The thought was dashed however when the man grabbed his mug and took a slow series of gulps.

Smiling, Shannon set the meal down and pushed it gently to the newcomer.

"Here you are sir," Shannon said with sweet smile, "one lunch entrée with a fresh mug of ale."

In the dim light, Shannon saw the man smile and nod his head.

"Thank you," the man said, "it's been a while since I've had a good meal like this."

"Oh? Have you been traveling long?" Shannon asked.

"Yep," the man replied, "I just got back here two months ago and have been traveling ever since. I'm actually going to be heading to Crocus when I'm done here. I'll be visiting someone who…I haven't seen in a while."

"Crocus?" Shannon said in awe, "I've always wanted to go there; especially since the Grand Magic Games are coming up! Have you been there before!?"

The man paused slightly, just as he was picking up his fork and knife.

"…Yeah," the man answered, albeit grimly, "but it was under different circumstances."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Shannon said catching his change of tone, "I…I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright." The man said with a sigh before cutting into his meal. Seeing as how their conversation had come to an end, Shannon bowed politely and took her leave.

"If you need anything just give me a call." She said while the traveler nodded.

Although Shannon couldn't put her finger on it, there was something…familiar about this man. She just didn't know what it was.

And so the afternoon continued as it usually did with the lunch crowd dying down as a lull settled over the inn with only a few occupants sitting at the tables and booths. Shannon for her part was sitting at the bar, taking a much needed break, while occasionally looking over her shoulder and back to the stranger who still sat at his booth…and was now on his third plate of chicken.

The man certainly had an appetite.

"What'cha looking at Shan~non?" A voice said a female voice in a whimsical, sing song tone.

"She's staring again," a second female voice added, "didn't mom say that's a bad habit you need to kick?"

Shannon's head snapped to her right where her two older sisters, Katrina and Abigail, lounged in the seats next to her. Had she been so preoccupied that she hadn't heard them?!

"I was not starring!" Shannon protested in a whispered hiss, lest she attract the man's attention.

"Mhmm, sure." Abigail said skeptically while Katrina brought her hand to her lips to giggle.

Katrina was eighteen, making her two years Shannon's senior, while Abigail was the eldest daughter of the family at twenty.

Katrina was the more vivacious of the sisters with a sunny disposition and bubbly personality. She also had a habit of teasing…something that was feared by all residents in the town because no one knew when Katrina would strike.

Abigail was the more relaxed one out of the three with a quiet, serious nature about her yet still maintaining the "big-sister" attitude with her siblings.

Like Shannon, her sisters were tall and slim, sported the same pale blue eyes and dressed in a similar fashion to Shannon. The only differences being that Katrina had black hair, which she kept cut short in a pixie cut and had dyed a few of her bangs a vibrant shade of neon purple while Abigail kept her chocolate colored hair tied into a ponytail and wore a pair of thick, dark rimmed glasses.

"So," Katrina said as she rested her chin in her hands on the bar top, "who do you think he is? We get a lot of weirdo's through here but he's just plain spooky."

"Be nice," Abigail chastised, "he's our guest, remember?"

"But it's true," Katrina said, "he just popped out of nowhere; like a ghost!"

"There is something different about him." Shannon said.

"See, even Shan' agrees." Katrina said while Abigail sighed deeply.

"Maybe he's that stranger with the black cloak everyone has been talking about recently." Katrina added.

"I mean, look at him!" Katrina said as she subtly pointed to the booth and its occupant.

"Surely you can't be seriously alluding to the man who attacked those two bandit groups a few weeks back? The same man who stole their money after beating them senseless and trying them to trees?" Abigail said.

"Well he does match the description of a man in a black cloak." Katrina replied, while Shannon snorted.

"He along with every other traveler in these parts, though I do admit that I like the idea of robbing the robbers." Shannon quipped, while Katrina puffed her harrumphed dramatically and crossed her arms.

"You two are no fun." Katrina said, making her sisters giggle.

"I do wonder though…" Shannon added, "If he's a mage of some sort."

"Now that I find to be reasonable." Abigail said, "He certainly has that air about him that all mages carry."

A Cheshire grin formed on Katrina's lips.

"Maybe he's that Natsu Dragneel guy Shan' is so fond of."

Shannon spluttered a series of inarticulate words while her face changed over thirty shades of red. Katrina for her part let out a series of high pitched cackles while Abigail shook her head with a smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Shannon said, managing to partially recover.

"Oh please Shan', don't act like that." Katrina said.

"You had a crush on him when you were nine after reading about him in Sorcerer Magazine, you were in a funk for the longest time when he and his friends went missing for those seven years and then you mega crushed on him when you watched him on the lacrima for last year's GMG."

"She is right Shannon," Abigail said, "you are very fond of him."

Shannon pouted and put her hands on her hips.

"That doesn't give you the right to tease me about it." Shannon said while Katrina sniggered.

"Oh yes it does," she countered, "especially since he up and vanished a year ago. He could pop up anywhere and anytime now."

"Don't remind me." Shannon said with a slight frown.

It was true that she held a great deal of respect-and yes, maybe a crush-for Natsu Dragneel. She was one of a few other girls and boys her age in the town to think so. But it had been a year since the fire mage had disappeared…followed by Fairy Tail, her favorite magic guild, disbanding. It was a sore subject for her and her friends who still cared for the guild and its mages.

"Do you know how high the odds of that happening are?" Shannon said.

"Do you know how you'd react if it was him?" Katrina quipped, making her sister blush again.

"Alright that's enough," Abigail said gently, "we shouldn't tease Shannon about something she cares so much about. You can only get away with it for so long."

"Get away with what?" A deep voice said, catching the girl's attention as their mother walked out of the office with the company of a man. The name on embroidered onto his white work shirt read: Paul.

"Hi daddy." The girls said in unison with smiles on their faces.

"You girls are not causing too much trouble I would hope." Paul said with a broad smile.

Paul was a tall man with a thick frame, short black hair, a mustache-beard combo and soft, honey colored eyes. He was dressed in a workers attire consisting of a canvas shirt, denim pants and had a tool belt wrapped around his waist.

"Nah," Katrina said, "just giving Shan' a hard time."

"Oh, then that's okay." Paul said as he chuckled deeply while Shannon pouted.

"Daddy!" Shannon protested and received a one armed hug from her father as he stepped around the bar.

"Ah, you know I love you." Paul said while Shannon sighed whimsically.

"If you insist." Shannon said.

And all the while, the stranger silently watched from his booth…having overheard every word of the conversation between the sisters. He smiled then, a small sad smile before shaking his head with a sigh.

He picked his mug off the table and was in the process of bringing it to his lips when he paused…before slowly setting it back down. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end and his senses became hyperaware. He exhaled out his nose while a muted hiss arouse from the back of his throat.

There was danger at the front door.

As if on cue, said door was violently kicked open from the outside.

A group of six men stormed into the dining area of the tavern as Shannon and her family's mood, along with that of the other patrons, immediately changed from joyous and relaxed to a mood of fear and apprehension.

The men were burly and disheveled looking, the ruffian sort that was common to the area…and unfortunately, were "regulars" in the town and at the tavern. They were a travelling gang of bandits who took advantage of the local town's remoteness from any sort of help or civilization and once a month, they returned to the towns they frequented to…"collect" on certain things.

"Hello Paul." one of the bandits said, obviously the leader of the group said with a wide, sinister smile.

"The boys and I have come to collect on what you owe us."

The leader then brandished a small, gun from within his jacket while his compatriots revealed a series of knives and clubs.

Paul stood before his wife and daughters, one hand keeping them behind him while his other was raised in a disarming manner. Paul swallowed hard, the concern evident in his eyes.

"I…I don't have the money, if that's what you're here for." Paul said while the leader's smile became tight lipped. The other bandits snickered in apprehension.

"Pray tell as to why?" The leader said, his voice tight.

"Business has been slow recently…we haven't gotten as many travelers recently and we had to make some necessary repairs to the building and-"

"My word Paul," the leader said, "it sounds to me like you're trying to rip me off."

"No!" Paul said, his voice panicked, "I'd never do that to you!"

"I thought I made it perfectly clear what my expectations were when me and the boys come to collect. You give us what we want and we're on our way. We don't ask for much, just enough for us to put a roof over our heads and enjoy the small comforts of life."

At this, the leader glared at Paul while the others laughing only grew more noticeable.

"I thought that after I had broken your arm the first time around, you would've learned. You were doing a fine job…until today of course." The leader said before turning to the other occupants of the tavern.

"You know the drill everyone; pay up, center table like always." The leader said before turning back to Paul.

Two of the bandits took the money that was being offered to them or strong armed some patrons to hand over more jewels.

"Now…how short are you?" The leader said, drawing his gun.

Paul swallowed hard again.

"Two…two hundred." Paul said while the leader sighed dramatically, shaking his head.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, two hundred short just isn't going to cut it. I'm afraid you're going to have to pay us with other means." Said the leader.

"What do you want? Free room and meal for the night? I can do that or-" Paul said before being cut off when the leader pistol whipped Paul across the head, striking him down with a cry while the leader racked the slide on his gun.

"Daddy!" Shannon cried.

"Paul!" Cried Amelia.

"You misunderstand Paul," the leader said as he looked to girls with a leering look in his eyes before licking his lips, "it's not money we want for compensation this time."

Shannon, Katrina and Abigail huddled closer to their mother for protection.

"I think, you'll daughters will have to suffice for this time." The leader said as three of his cronies moved to the girls, grabbing them by the arms and forcefully pulling them away from Amelia.

"NO!" Amelia cried and ran to her pleading daughters only to be struck down to the floor by a bandit.

The other patrons could only watch while some looked away in disgust, anger and resignation.

"NO!" Paul cried out, "PLEASE, NOT MY DUAGHTERS! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT!"

The leader struck Paul between his shoulder blades, knocking the older man down to the floor.

"You had your chance and now your daughters pay the price for your failure." The leader said, "Let's take 'em out back guys; the youngest is mine but the other two are yours for the taking."

The bandits made as series of triumphant hoots and hollers that drowned out the fearful cries of the girls. It was then that one of the bandits noticed the stranger in the booth. The guys had been so quiet and inconspicuous that the bandits had failed to notice him earlier.

"Hey boss," the bandit said, "some chump hasn't paid up yet!"

The leader and the other bandits noticed the stranger as well and paused, just shy of the door.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for!? Collect!" The leader snarled.

"Hey buddy," the bandit said as he walked over to the booth, "you know what we want, cough up your cash or me and pals are going to have to get tough with you."

The stranger remained silent. In the shadow of the booth, the bandit could see his arms move up to chest level…before the sound of knuckles audibly cracking could be heard.

"A tough guy eh?" The bandit sneered as he produced his club, "You won't be so tough when I knock all your teeth out now will you?!"

The stranger remained silent.

"Hey!" The bandit snarled, "I'm talking to you, you little punk!"

The bandit stormed the booth, roughly shoving the table out of the way and moved to grab the stranger by his cloak. And that was when all hell broke loose.

The stranger's leg and boot snapped out with near blinding speed and with inhuman force, struck the bandit right between his legs. Before the man could so much as cry out, the kick had lifted him off the floor and had sent him straight up and into the ceiling head first where he dangled limply there as the wood of the ceiling broke around his head.

The stranger then stood and stepped out of the booth, revealing himself to the light of the tavern and took a step to the side, cracking his neck as he did so…just as the bandit fell free and back to the floor; unconscious.

He was tall and well-built with a fit, muscular frame hidden beneath his cloak which wrapped around his neck and shoulders while hanging to the left in a diagonal manner, covering his chest, half of his right arm at the elbow, while obscuring his left at the wrist. The rest of the cloak billowed out behind him. He wore a black, form fitting sleeveless shirt beneath the cloak and a his khaki cargo pants were secured to his waist by a brown leather belt while also tapering off before becoming slightly baggy where they were tucked into a pair of high top, tanker style boots; boots that were held together by a series of straps and buckles.

But the most distinctive features of the stranger, which caught everyone's attention, were his fierce green eyes, his salmon colored hair that was blackened at the tips while being pulled back into a small ponytail that barely touched the base of his neck and his right arm where a series of black, tattoo flame like patterns ran up the arm.

Shannon instantly recognized who the man was, now that he was in the proper lighting.

"You…You're…" Shannon whispered, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"…_Natsu Dragneel!"_

He looked different, much different than he had over a year ago, but Shannon would recognize one of Fairy Tail's strongest mage's anywhere.

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he observed the remaining bandits, who still stood in shock from what had just transpired with their comrade. Natsu then took a single step forward and suddenly burst into a flurry of glowing red embers…only to appear behind the bandits in the blink of an eye.

He started with the bandits holding Katrina and Abigail. Stepping in-between the two mooks, Natsu raised his arms up and brought his elbows back, smashing the bandit's faces and making them cry out as they stumbled back. Freed from their captors, Abigail and Katrina fell to the floor and hid beneath a nearby table.

Next was Shannon.

Still maintaining his momentum from his previous attack, Natsu pivoted on his foot-left arm cocked back- and straight punched the bandit who was holding Shannon while grabbing her wrist with his free hand to prevent her from going with him. The bandit was struck back with enough force that he was knocked up and over the bar top and into the bottle rack behind it.

"_Two down," _Natsu thought, _"four to go."_

Letting go of Shannon and leaving her to stare in awe at Natsu, the fire mage turned his attention to the remaining bandits.

"KILL HIM!" The raged, "I DON"T CARE HOW YOU DO IT; JUST KILL HIM!"

The two bandits that Natsu had previously knocked down were back up and ready for some revenge.

Unfortunately for them…they had never fought Natsu Dragneel before.

The fire mage raised both his hands at his waist, palms open as a series of glowing red runes flared to life on his exposed arms.

"Fire curse," Natsu said, "Heat Blast!"

There was a quick burst of heat and pressure but the two bandits were sent flying back into the walls framing the main door with enough force to cave the wood in; their clothes steaming and slightly charred while they themselves were unconscious from the impact.

The second to last bandit let out an angered cry and charged Natsu, club held high. Natsu let out an annoyed grunt and simply lunged forward and delivered a gut punch so fierce that it lifted the man out of his boots and instantly knocked him out.

"And then there was one." Natsu said as he looked to the leader, who aimed his gun at Natsu with shaking hands.

"Stay away!" The man cried out, "Monster! Freak! Stay away from me!"

"Natsu look out!" Shannon cried out as the leader opened fire. Natsu's hand was up and before him in a flash, palm out and fingers curled.

"Vector." Natsu said.

The pistol echoed loudly in the tavern…but Natsu did not fall. The air before his hand shimmered and warped like the water of the sea…as if it was being manipulated by some invisible force.

The leader could only stare in horror as his bullets hovered in midair before Natsu, slowly rotating in their suspended flight. Natsu uncurled his fingers, the warping disappeared and the bullets clattered to the floor.

"Nice try." Natsu said with a smirk, "But you'll have to do better than that."

The leader frantically made to reload his gun, reaching for the spare magazine in his jacket but Natsu never gave him the chance. With his hand still outstretched, the runes flared once again before there was burst of flame. The leader was blasted out the door, end over end, before coming to a stop at the fountain that occupied the center of the town. He let out a loan moan of pain while his clothes began to fall apart from nearly being incinerated.

Natsu let out a heavy sigh and bent down to pick up the fallen gun before turning back to the tavern keeper, his family and the other patrons.

"Is everyone alright?" Natsu asked.

He received a series of awed responses while Paul was helped back to his feet. He then joined his family in a tearful group hug before he addressed Natsu.

"Thank you…just…thank you." Paul said.

Natsu simply shrugged with a small smile.

"Just doing what I do. I am a Fairy Tail mage after all." Natsu said before he held up his hand and a green flame appeared. From within the flame, two small stacks of jewels appeared and were promptly set on a nearby table. It was money he had taken from a series of bandit group's weeks earlier.

It was only fair after all; robbing those who robbed others.

"Sorry about the mess…and thanks for the food." Natsu said as he began to walk out of the Tavern.

"You're really him…aren't you?" Shannon said, making Natsu pause.

"You're really Natsu Dragneel aren't you?"

Natsu simply looked over his shoulder, gave Shannon a smile and a wink and went on his way. He then walked over to where the leader still lay. Natsu roughly kicked the man onto his back before stomping his boot down onto the man's arm; breaking it.

The leader promptly screamed in agony.

"All I wanted to do was take a bit of a break from walking and maybe enjoy some real food for a change and here you guys come waltzing in as if you own the place." Natsu said as he glowered down at the scumbag.

"If I ever catch you in this town again, I'll do more than burn your clothes and break your arm." Natsu hissed.

He then held up the gun and tightened his grip on it. A single rune formed on his hand before the gun itself began to glow a fierce orange. It then _melted_ in Natsu's grip, who promptly let molten slag fall to the ground.

"M-Monster…" the leader whispered just as he passed out.

"No." Natsu said as he narrowed his eyes, eyes which glowed a fierce shamrock green while the whites turned solid black.

"I'm not a monster," Natsu said, "…I'm a demon."

He then turned on his heel and made his way out of town. He had drawn more attention to himself than he would have liked.

XXXX

"_**I think that went rather well,"**_ A voice said in the back of Natsu's mind, _**"you handled them better than you did the last ones."**_

"Yeah, well there were people around this time and I didn't want to hurt any of them." Natsu muttered under his breathe.

"They all had it coming regardless…wouldn't you agree END?"

"_**Of that we can agree."**_ END replied back.

Natsu currently sat atop a small boulder that overlooked a rapidly running creek. He was now three miles on the outside of the town he had just come from and had decided to take a break. He would have preferred to have stayed there longer but circumstances demanded he put some distance between himself and the town.

He didn't want to draw too much attention than he already had.

Had the fight taken place a year prior, Natsu wouldn't have minded in the least. In fact, he would have basked in the glory of his victory over those simple thugs.

But that would have been the him of a year ago…not who he was of today.

He had noticed it, the change in himself, as time passed over the year. He wasn't as quick to fight despite retaining his hair trigger temper, he was more quiet-subdued even-and preferred his solitude when in the presence of others. He thought out his fights rather than running in blindly and only did so when the situation dictated it.

All of these changes were in part to the demon he shared both mind and body with; END. Or, rather, the "good" half of the demon E.N.D.

The spirit of the demon had trained him hard over the past year and the more they had trained, the more their personalities began to meld. It had been uncomfortable at first but he eventually got used-even welcomed-the voice in the back of his head.

"_**This is a pleasant change in scenery,"**_ END said, snapping Natsu from his thoughts, _**"compared to where we were two months earlier."**_

"Yeah," Natsu said as he inhaled the crisp mountain air, "I'd almost forgotten how much I missed being on the mainland…almost."

END chuckled, making Natsu smile. Unlike his other half, END wasn't the living embodiment of the evil that the dark mage Zeref had been able to wield. No, this END was quiet, more reserved, and friendly even. He could be strict and firm but calm and collected all at once. It was this personality that balanced out his role as Natsu's mentor and protector.

The two had become close over the year, even though they shared the same body. It was bound to happen after all since they had spent an entire year trying to reign in Natsu's new found power that had been left over from E.N.D's vanquishing.

One year, Natsu suddenly lamented with a slight frown.

"One year…" Natsu said aloud, "has it really been that long?"

It had been one year since he had left Magnolia Town to train under END's guidance, lest he lose control and cause a massacre.

One year since he had left Lucy and Happy behind.

…One year since Fairy Tail had disbanded.

Natsu had found out only a few weeks after he had left home when he visited a travelling news merchant. It was on the front page of every issue of Sorcerer Magazine and News Paper and Natsu had nearly suffered a panic attack when he read the words, "FAIRY TAIL DISBANDS" over and over again.

His home-his nakama-was gone. Everyone had gone their separate ways.

His thoughts had snapped to Lucy. She and Happy were alone now with no one to look after them; to look after her. He had wanted to go back to her then and there. He wanted to desperately apologize to her for what he had done and assure her that she would be alright. He wanted to protect her…just like he always had.

But he knew he couldn't. He had already begun his own journey…and had crossed the point of no return. Lucy would have to be on her own for a bit…at least until he returned to her.

Natsu sighed deeply and opened his palm, a blue flame quickly forming and fading just as quickly. In his hand now rested an issue of Sorcerer Magazine. And on the front cover, it depicted a radiant beauty of a girl with a curvaceous figure and long, golden blonde hair and the most beautiful smile.

It was a picture of Lucy, modeling for the magazine.

He had found it, in Hargeon Town of all places, a month after he'd left home; before he had left Fiore. His mind wandered back to that day, a small smile forming on his face.

_Natsu paused as he passed a magazine vendor, his brow furrowing slightly as he turned his head to look at the magazines on display._

_Had he just seen what he thought he'd saw?_

"_**What is it?"**__ END asked._

_Lowering the hood on his cloak, Natsu picked up a copy of Sorcerer Magazine and studied its cover for a split second before his eyes nearly popped out their sockets while his jaw practically unhinged itself._

"_HOLY SHIT; IT'S LUCY!" Natsu had hissed, quickly containing his outburst._

"_**So it would appear."**__ END replied._

_Sure enough, there was Lucy in a bikini that was just a tad bit too small while she lounged on her side, giving the camera a seductive, "come here" look. Natsu felt his cheeks insntalty warm as the woman he loved stared back at him. _

_He quickly spammed through the magazine until he found the article Lucy was featured in. It was an interview and a photoshoot of Lucy who posed in various ways and in different outfits. There was a folded section on the one said and when Natsu turned it sideways and let it open…a small trickle of blood leaked out of his nose while his skin literally began to steam._

"_**Whoa."**__ END said with a low whistle._

"_Yeah…whoa." Natsu had replied in a daze._

Natsu blinked as he snapped himself out his thoughts while opening the magazine to reread the article, just as he had done a hundred times before. It talked briefly about Fairy Tail's disbandment, Lucy being hired by the magazine and how she would soon be moving from a modeling gig to that of an editor in training for the magazine's headquarters in Crocus.

With any luck, she'd still be there.

After a year apart from Lucy, Natsu knew the moment he stepped back onto the soil of Fiore that he had to see her.

Even if it was from a distance, he had to see Lucy.

No…he _needed_ to see the woman he loved. To know that she was safe.

And that was why he had slowly been working his way towards Crocus. To see Lucy. Stopping in the town had just been a break for him before he continued on his way.

"…_**You miss her, don't you?"**_ END said, snapping Natsu out of his thoughts with a derisive snort.

"She's the woman who I love END." Natsu said, "What do you think?"

"…_**Love is an alien concept to me Natsu,"**_ END replied, _**"Lest you forget, I was created to destroy and kill, not experience the emotions you humans are gifted with."**_

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Natsu said, his tone slightly bitter, "That I was cursed to allow you to do those things."

"_**No Natsu,"**_ END replied calmly, _**"you are who you are; you are still Natsu Dragneel. I am END; a demon of Zeref. We are two individual halves of the same being. My sins are mine to bare and mine alone…note yours. I've told you this before and I will continue to tell you this."**_

Natsu nodded solemnly.

"I know…but when I think of what I did to the others…to Igneel and Lucy…" Natsu said, remembering the painful events of the year before.

"_**Do not let the past hold you down Natsu."**_ END said, _**"E.N.D no longer holds any control over you and you are stronger than you were then. You are the one in control now…not him."**_

Natsu was quiet for a minute before smiling as he made the magazine disappear in a flash of blue flame.

"I can always count on you to have my back, can't I?"

Even though he couldn't see it, Natsu could sense that END was smiling…in his own way.

"_**You know the answer to that." **_The former demon replied.

It was then that a strong gust of wind rustled the trees…and carried with it a scent that was not of the crisp air.

Natsu immediately stood upright, eyes slightly wide as his nose twitched with a series of breathes as Natsu sniffed the air.

"END…do you smell that?" Natsu said.

"_**Yes,"**_ END replied, _**"it's a fire. A big one at that."**_

With near inhuman speed, Natsu ran to and scaled up a nearby tall tree and scanned the horizon as his enhanced senses went into overdrive.

"There!" Natsu said, "Back near the town!"

Sure enough, off in the distance on a mountain side, Natsu could see black smoke rising into the air along with the bright red's, orange's and yellows of a massive, raging fire.

"A forest fire," Natsu said, "and it's moving fast."

"_**Indeed."**_ END replied, _**"In fact, it won't be long before it reaches the town; it'll destroy everything in its path."**_

"Like hell it will." Natsu grunted.

With the same speed he had used to traverse the tree, Natsu descended back to the ground and was running back to the town.

"I said it was fast," Natsu said, as he pumped his legs to move harder, "but I'm faster!"

XXXX

Natsu slid to a halt and right into the middle of town in panic. The fire could be seen descending the mountain side at a rapid pace; consuming all in its path.

"Mister Dragneel!" Natsu heard a voice call out and turned to see Paul and his family quickly approaching him.

"Sir," Natsu said, "what's going on? What's happening?"

"We don't know," Paul said, "one minute everything was fine and then the next that fire was raging on the mountain side!"

"It just came out of nowhere!" Katrina said, "Like something out of story or something like that!"

"Fire doesn't just come out of nowhere." Natsu said as he narrowed his eyes at the fire. Something felt wrong about this.

"Nor does it spread this quickly. The forest isn't' dry enough for it to do so."

"Dry or not, that fire is going to be here any moment and we need to get the hell out of here if we don't move." Paul said, only for Natsu to place a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Don't panic," Natsu said, still looking at the fire, "I'll handle this."

"Are you insane?!" Amelia said, "That fire will roast you alive!"

"I'm a fire mage," Natsu said with a grin, looking to the woman, "I'll be at home in that blaze."

"Are you really going to stop that fire?" Shannon said in both concern and awe.

Before Natsu could respond, a panicked voice called out over the terrified cries of the townsfolk.

"SKYLER!" A woman's frantic voice called out.

"SKYLER!" The woman cried out again, "SKYLER WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Oh no, that's Mrs. Kita!" Abigail said as the woman came into view. Noticing Paul, the woman ran up to him.

"Paul!" The woman said, "Have you seen Skyler?! Have you seen my son?! I can't find him anywhere!"

"No, no I haven't." Paul said as the woman became hysterical, "Calm down, where did you last see him?"

"My-My husband has been out on business for the past few days. Skyler has been helping me at home with all the chores. He-He had finished his chores for the day and I told him he could go out and play." The woman sobbed.

"I…I think he may have gone out to the woods when the fire broke out!"

Natsu turned back to the fire, narrowing his eyes in concentration as if he was scanning the inferno for something that only he could see.

"He's out there; alive. I can sense him." Natsu said, before looking to the others, "I'll save the boy and stop that fire."

"And how do you plan to do that?!" Paul said, "Fire mage or not, no one, not even you could survive in a fire like that."

Natsu grinned…and despite the heat in the air, the air around Natsu began to visibly cool as a dark aura flared around his body like the flames of fire, while burning hot red, orange and yellow embers crackled at his boots.

"Watch me." Natsu said simply as the whites of his eyes turned black and his eyes glowed a fierce green while the embers and aura burned away at his body.

And when both the aura and embers had faded away, just as quickly as they had formed, a collective gasp was released at Natsu's new appearance.

His musculature increased slightly and his shoulders broadened out further. The pink of his hair had darkened slightly and the blackened tips had become more prominent. His skin had changed from its healthy tanned peach to that of a dull red while a scale like pattern could be seen here and there. His shirt and cloak were gone, while his pants had turned black as did the belt that supported it.

He lacked the horns that he had sported a year earlier but still maintained his dragon like wings, which had flared out slightly

Certain sections of his body and skin were covered by an obsidian black armor that had a brushed sheen to it and appeared to be streamlined with the muscle and bone which it covered. The armor started with his hands and forearms. His fingers had become like the blades of knives, claw like in their appearance as the armor overlapped at the knuckles. The rest of the armor traveled up his forearms and stopped just past his elbows forming blade shaped extensions. The armor also appeared on his collar bone, clavicle and shoulders, conforming to the shape of the muscle and bone. It also formed down the length of his neck and spine in inverted, overlapping chevrons. The armor also conformed to his shoulder blades and ribs, which in turn formed a menacing cage around his heart which once again glowed like the magma lying beneath a volcano.

But the armor did not stop at his upper body.

The jet black slacks which adorned his legs were baggier and had armored tasset's attached to left and right side of his heavy belt and were seamlessly woven to the sides of his thighs. Similar armor covered his knees, shins and the upper half of his boots.

And then there was his face. His jaw had, along with the lower half of his maxilla, had become armored like his hands and arms, thus forming a maw of white, diamond shaped teeth took its place. The jaw was firm and the teeth set, as if the bone and enamel were locked together in place.

Lastly on his shoulders, two emblems glowed a wicked shade of orange over the armor like holograms. On his right shoulder, the Fairy Tail emblem was displayed with pride. And on his left, tattooed in a staggered manner, were three simple letters: END.

His transformation to his etherious form was complete.

"Sit tight," Natsu said as he turned around with a sly grin, "I'll be back."

And with those words, his wings flapped once at full strength and Natsu had taken to the air and to the fire. Leaving Paul, his family and the woman to wonder what the hell had they just seen, and more importantly, what had happened to Natsu to cause him to take such a form.

XXXX

The tree limbs easily snapped apart as Natsu crashed through the burning tree tops and landed on the heated forest floor in a crouch. Quickly rising and letting his wings turn down and wrap around him like a cape, Natsu concentrated and scanned the forest before him; his eyes seeing past the hellfire that burned all around him. The flames and heat seemingly not bothering him in the slightest.

His iris's still glowed green but his pupils had taken on blue glow of their own. His vision had taken on a similar color while his peripheral vision rippled like water.

"Life Vision" as END called it was a handy little trick that allowed him to see anything with a heartbeat in any condition. When Natsu panned in the direction of where the heartbeat was, the ripples at the edge of his vision would pulse in time with how close the heartbeat was and the sound of the beating heart would in turn link to his hearing.

Natsu panned his head left and right before stopping when his vision pulsed slightly and he heard a muffled "lub-dub".

"There you are." Natsu said as he bolted through the fire.

With ease of skill and movement, Natsu easily navigated the searing flames and choking smoke as trees collapsed, brush ignited and branches fell. The pulsating of his vision increased as did the staccato beat of a heart; a heart of a child in terror.

Natsu soon came upon a boulder and small rock outcropping and a small orb of light appeared that beat in time with the heart. It was Skyler, he had sought cover from the fire in a small gap in between the rocks. He could hear the boys muffled whimpers of fear while his heart thundered rapidly.

Finding the gap, Natsu ducked down and found Skyler in the fetal position, his body shaking and covered in soot. Natsu's sudden movement had caused him to look up and gasp in fright.

"Skyler?!" Natsu said, as he extended his hand, "Are you Skyler?!"

The boy tried to move further back against the gap but there was no room.

"Don't worry buddy, I'm not going to hurt you." Natsu said, his voice reaching Skyler above the constant roar of the fire, "You're mama is Kita right? She's worried about you and I'm here to take you back."

Skyler looked up at Natsu when he heard his mother's name mentioned and after an encouraging smile from Natsu, extended his hand out. Natsu took and pulled the boy close, cradling him close to his chest while is right wing wrapped up and over his shoulder to cover Skyler to protect him.

Natsu didn't waste any time in making his way out of the forest fire. Natsu made his way through a burning gulley and down a ravine before running at a dead sprint as he dodged hazard after hazard or simply cut his way through with an arm blade or fire curse. Soon enough, the fire was behind him and he was back into the lush forest yet untouched by the blaze as he reached the edge of the town.

Making his way to the main square, Natsu once again slid to a halt as his wing pulled back to reveal Skyler, safe and sound.

"Skyler!" Kita cried out as Natsu set the boy down and let him run to his mother.

"Mama!" Skyler cried out as he was swept up into his mother's arms.

"I…I don't believe it." Paul said, "How on Earthland did you manage…"

"Wow…"Shannon said with an awed look.

"_**Natsu,"**_ END said, _**"the fire is approaching still; it'll reach the outskirts of the town in minutes if we don't do something." **_

"_Right." _Natsu said with a curt nod to himself. He flared his wings again and with a rush of air, he was back in the air again.

Coming to a stop and flapping his wings so that he hovered in the air, Natsu looked down upon the fire below as it neared the town.

It was now or never.

Here goes something." Natsu said as he extended his arms out at his sides. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply while the glow of his heart lit up fiercely. His hands then snapped forward, fingers curled while a series of runes appeared on the skin and armor. His eyes opened, now fully glowing green.

"Fire is mine to control; it is mine to command." Natsu said, his maw snapping open and moving in time with his voice.

"It is an extension of my will, an extension of my soul and power. And I call it forth into me to use as mine and mine and mine alone!"

A vortex of raging fire suddenly erupted from Natsu's chest-from within his heart- and spiraled down to forest fire. The vortex, rather than crashing down, merged with the already raging fire until it all was consumed. Natsu then pulled his arms back and the vortex moved with the motion, spinning backwards and taking the forest fire with it. Natsu grunted and gritted his teeth as the fire surged into him. Of all the powers he had learned over the past year, this one was his least favorite.

In fact, he considered it to be a pain in the ass…albeit a necessary one.

The vortex continued back until it began to diminish is size and scale…and then with a violent lurch to Natsu, the vortex snapped into his chest and was gone. His heart pulsed once…twice…thrice and then it was calm once more. Bellow him, the fire was no more; all that remained were charred remains of the forest that had been damaged, glowing embers and a haze of smoke.

Natsu let out a deep sigh but smiled none the less.

"I stopped it…I stopped it…" Natsu said.

"_**Well done Natsu,"**_ END said, _**"your mastery of your new power is starting to show."**_

But then his tone shifted.

"_**But…I sensed something about this fire that was…concerning."**_

"You sensed it too?" Natsu said.

"_**Yes," **_END replied, _**"there was something unnatural about this fire. Someone or something deliberately caused this fire…as to what it was I am not certain."**_

"Only one way to find out." Natsu said as he flew back to the ground.

"_**Head towards the mountain side…I sense that there is something there."**_

"Go it." Natsu said as he swept his wings back and increased his speed. Flying over charred trees and steaming ground with ember cracks still glowing, Natsu came to a stop where END specified. Conducting a quick scan with his "Life Vision" and finding nothing, Natsu walked forward a few dozen yards before coming to a stop. In the midst of the ash ridden ground, Natsu could see a slight depression indicating a small crater. Looking forward, he saw that the rest of the forest of was untouched save for the blazed area behind him.

"_**We've found the ignition point,"**_ END said, _**"and it's not natural. This fire was directional; someone started the fire and was aiming it towards the town."**_

"But what caused it?" Natsu said as he placed his hand on the ground at the center of the crater, "Wait a minute. I sense something here…"

"_**I detect a faint trace of demonic energy; a small fire curse to be exact."**_ END said, his tone darkening.

"Demonic!? You mean like me!?" Natsu said but END had gone quiet.

"…END, what's wrong?" Natsu said.

_**"I know this energy…but it belongs to something I haven't sensed in a long time and-LOOK OUT!"**_ END yelled.

Natsu reacted on instinct, ducking down and spinning around low in a sweeping motion; just in time to avoid a black, spike like projectile that hit a scorched tree and caused it to burst apart in a shower of splinters.

Natsu's response was instantaneous. He pushed himself up and into a backflip, landing on a collapsed tree with a curse already in his voice.

"Fire Curse," Natsu yelled, "Hellfire Gatling Gun!"

In a burst of fire and embers, a large, six barreled machine gun appeared in Natsu's hands which tightly held the chainsaw style grips. A large ammo drum was affixed underneath the weapon with a feed chute loaded with large caliber shells. It was intricately engraved and fitted with dulled brass and steel fittings while the barrels were shaped like octagons.

Said barrels were already spooled and ready to fie upon being summoned so all Natsu had to do was squeeze the trigger. With a deafening roar, the Gatling gun fired and dispensed is never ending payload of 20x102 millimeter High Explosive Armor Piercing Incendiary (HEAPI) onto whatever Natsu pointed the gun at.

It didn't matter what was in the guns line of fire-rock, dirt, tree- the powerful shells and the rate at which they were fired, blasted, shredded and eviscerated all in their path. With a small pile of hot brass littered at his feet, Natsu eased off the trigger and rocked the gun back.

"I think I got it." Natsu said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"_**No…you didn't."**_ END replied just as series of new spikes fired from within the ground. Natsu detected a trace of demonic energy and watched as the ground shifted ever so slightly as he dogged the new attacks and focused his fire where he suspected his attacker to be.

After ending the extended burst from his weapon, Natsu once again eased back, scouring the area for any sign of whatever was hiding under the burnt forest floor.

"I should have seen it with my Life Vision, what gives?!" Natsu said.

"_**What we're fighting doesn't have a heart Natsu…it has no need for one."**_ END replied, just as the ground a few yards away began to shake and tremble violently.

Something was coming.

"_**Stay sharp; here it comes!"**_ END said just as the ground burst apart in a shower of ash and dirt…and a new terror arose to confront Natsu.

"What. The. Fuck. Is. _That_?" Natsu said, involuntarily taking a step back while END let out a low growl.

Natsu immediately noticed that the thing had two legs and arms but that was as far as things went; it didn't even qualify as human.

It was tall, had to be at least seven or eight feet in height, with an athletic build and wiry muscle rippling underneath its skin…or the skin that was shone; the skin that looked like it was burning from the inside out. From head to toe it was covered in a shard, scale like armor that was colored a metallic red and grey. It had six fingers on each hand; each razor sharp daggers in their own right. The same went for its clawed feet.

Four jagged spines emerged from its back while a long, whip like tail with a spear tip point that resembled a shard covered spinal column extended from its lower back and moved languidly about.

And then there was the head. It was flat and covered in the same armor that covered the skin while four glowing red, narrowed eyes started at Natsu; two in the front and two smaller ones set back. There was no nose but a series of slits in the throat alluded to it breathing through gills. Its mouth was closed until it open and hissed; four mandibles seamlessly breaking apart to reveal a double row of teeth, as if a shark had lent the thing its mouth, and a long, saliva covered tongue.

"_**That is a Hunter. A demon of Zeref's creation." **_END replied.

"_Zeref!?"_ Natsu thought.

"_**Yes. This is one more thing out of his vast bag of nightmares…and under no circumstances should you underestimate one of these things." **_END said.

The hunter suddenly pointed at Natsu with one gnarled finger and spoke; a horrible grating sound.

"YoU." The Hunter spoke.

"YoU aRe To CoMe WiTh Us."

"Who sent you!?" Natsu snarled, "Did you start this fire!?"

"We StArTeD tHiS fIRe To LuRe YoU oUt," the Hunter replied, "LoRd END-LoRd NaTsU DrAgNeEl. We ArE tO rEtRiEvE yOu AnD bRiNg YoU tO LoRd ZeRef. He sEnSeD yOuR rEtuRn To ThIs LaNd TwO MoNtHs AgO aNd WiShEs To SeTtLe HiS dEsTiNy wItH yOu. He SeNt Us To ReTrIeVe YoU aNd NoW wE hAvE fInAlLy FoUnD yOu."

"_**It's been following us ever since we got back,"**_ END said, _**"we didn't sense it because it was avoiding our sensing range. These things are master stalkers and have the tenacity of a dragon. Zeref must be desperate if he's dusted the Hunters off the shelf."**_

"That bastard still has that twisted death wish of his in mind doesn't he? Well tell him to piss off, I'm not ready to die. Not yet." Natsu said making the hunter hiss…and smile?

"We HaVe OrDeR's To UsE ExTrEmE mEaSuRe's If yOu FaIl To HeEd ZeReF's CaLl." The Hunter sneered.

"Then that's fine by me." Natsu said as he snapped the Gatling gun back up and opened fire.

The Hunter back flipped, rolled and strafed with an agility that even surprised Natsu. For a demon covered in armor and having a gangly appearance, the thing could move.

The Hunter dived to the right before casting its hand out and launching a series of spikes at Natsu. One of the spikes got lucky and stuck the Gatling; shearing it in half.

Natsu let out a loud curse and ducked when the hunter bolted forward and lashed out with its tail. Natsu struck up with an uppercut but the Hunter leapt up, avoiding the hit and kicked Natsu with both its feet; knocking him back with enough force to send Natsu through two destroyed trees.

Growling, Natsu quickly recovered and starred the Hunter down with a glare. The Hunter took a low stance while Natsu raised his right arm…and called upon his new signature weapon; his arm blade. The weapon extended out from his forearm and over his knuckles, ready to slice and dice.

"_But first,"_ Natsu mused, _"let's see how hot this thing really likes it."_

Natsu inhaled deeply and called upon his power and brought his free hand up to his maw as it snapped open.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu bellowed and fired a jet of superheated fire at the hunter.

The creature dodged, but just barely as the spot where it stood suddenly erupted in a blast of flame. Natsu saw his opening and flared his wings as he charged the hunter, gaining a speed boost in doing so.

"Take this!" Natsu said as fire formed on his left hand, "Cursed Dragons' Iron Fist!"

Natsu landed a direct hit onto the Hunter, striking in in the chest and sending it back end over end while engulfed in fire. To Natsu's surprise, the Hunter summersaulted with the attack-crashing through burnt trees and debris as it did so-before uncurling and launching a series of spikes at Natsu.

Natsu used his arm blade to deflect the ones that he could but two managed to imbed themselves in his left shoulder and above his right knee. Natsu dropped to one knee, hissing in pain as he did so before the Hunter came bounding back, leaping into the air and delivering a flying spin kick to Natsu's head. Natsu was knocked to the side only for the hunter's tail to snap out and impale him through the abdomen. With surprising strength, the Hunter smashed Natsu against the ground, tree trunks and rocks with ease before tossing him off of the tail, sliding a ways on the ground and lading in a heap.

The demon cackled as it stalked to Natsu who laid still while it curled and uncurled its fingers.

Once over Natsu it bent down and turned him over…only to recoil back with a pained screech as it grabbed at its shoulder after a flash of green light. A portion of its shoulder had been blasted away in a shower of sparks.

Natsu's eyes glowed a burning green while equally green cracks trailed out from the corners of his eyes. He had simply been waiting for the right moment to use his optical laser.

Natsu snarled and jammed his still formed arm blade into the Hunters abdomen, making it screech again-the two natural armors grinding against one another. Natsu then brought his leg up, kicked himself free and away from the hunter, rolled back into a crouch.

His eyes flashed again and another bolt of energy blasted the hunter in the chest, knocking it back.

Eyes narrowed and a low hiss escaping his armored teeth, ripped the two spikes out of his leg and shoulder as both wounds and the wound to his abdomen healed shut.

Natsu then brought his hand up to his chest-right at the glow of his heart-and concentrated his curse power. His hand reached into the glow and then pulled it back, removing what appeared to be the handle of a large sword. It was made from blackened metal with an even darker leather wrapped around it. Then the blade formed in a whirlwind of flame as the blackened steel solidified while a fiery red trim around the edge of the blade. A rough, block style script carved itself into the blade to form the words: HELL.

HELL blade in hand, Natsu stood and lifted the sword with ease before letting it scrape against the ground as he charged the hunter. The Hunter brought its arms up to block Natsu's first strike which caused the HELL blade to bounce off the Hunter's armor with a loud "CLANG" and a spray of sparks. The Hunter in turn staggered back and Natsu was open to diagonally slash the hunter across its center.

Now that did some damage. A ragged tear formed and a blackened sludge sprayed from the wound.

"About damn time it started to bleed!" Natsu said, not letting up in his attacks.

Natsu was relentless in his push to strike the Hunter down to size. Sparks, armor and flesh were rendered from the demon as Natsu manipulated the HELL blade with the utmost precision. He then turned the blade and smashed the flat side of the blade against the Hunters head like a bat, knocking a few of the hunters teeth loose in the process. Knocked down, the Hunter rolled on the ground for a minute while Natsu flapped his wings once and to quickly backpedal away from the demon.

As the demon stood on shaking legs and with blurred vision, looked for its quarry.

"Saturate." Natsu said, causing the hunter to look up to a rocky ledge where Natsu stood glaring down upon it.

Suddenly, particles of ash began to rise off the ground and hang in the air, almost as if in suspended animation. The ash particles were all around the demon causing it to look at its surroundings with a perplexed flaring of its mandibles.

"When you get to hell," Natsu said, "tell them that Natsu Dragneel sends his regards."

The demon suddenly sensed the air become heavy with black magic and it all seemed to becoming from the ash.

"Now burn." Natsu said as he snapped his right arm out and dragged the knuckles of his left hand along the armor in a deft strike, causing sparks to fly from the armor and down to where the hunter stood.

"Fire Curse; Flash Fire!" Natsu said as his wing wrapped around him as a shield. The sparks in turn sought out two to three particles of ash and ignited them…causing a chain reaction which in the blink of an eye, created a blast of fire that enveloped the whole area. The Hunters scream was lost above the roar of the fire.

But like a flash, the inferno had extinguished itself just as quickly as it had blasted its way into existence. The already scorched earth was blackened once again and the surface of the ground had been turned to glass. It would be a while before life once again flourished in this spot.

His wings unravelling, Natsu looked down to where the hunter stood. There wasn't much left. The Hunter now stood frozen in the throes of death agony, its skin and armor brittle and charred. And then with a gentle rustling of the breeze, the hunter collapsed to pieces.

"Good riddance." Natsu spat as he changed back to his normal form; his clothes returning and cloak once again wrapping around his shoulders.

"Let's hope that's the last we see of any of those things." Natsu said.

"_**Unfortunately for us, that is not the case."**_ END said.

"What?!" Natsu groaned, palming his face, "Are you kidding me?!"

"_**I wish I were."**_ END replied with a depressed sigh.

"_**That hunter was more than likely a scout. We still have the pack to deal with." **_

"Pack?" Natsu groaned, "Oh this just keeps getting better and better."

"_**Yes, a pack. Hunter packs normally consist of eight Hunters in total, including the scout we just faced and an Alpha…so that means there are seven more hunters out there looking for us."**_

"Great, as if one wasn't bad enough." Natsu growled.

"_**We do have an advantage."**_ END replied, _**"Hunter scouts travel a day ahead of the others take just as long to communicate back to them. If we move now, we should be able to get far enough ahead from them to make our trail all the more harder to follow."**_

Natsu mulled that over for a minute before slowly looking off in the general direction of where Crocus was.

"…_**You still wish to see Lucy."**_ END said, more of a statement than question.

"…I have to see her END. Even if it's just a glance, I have to see Lucy." Natsu said, "I have to know that she's okay. That she's safe."

END sighed deeply before making a gentle clicking noise, almost like a contemplative growl.

"_**We'll head away from the mountains and take a different, extended route to Crocus. By that time we should have put enough distance between us and the Hunters that we can allot some time to look the city for Lucy. But then we must be on our way Natsu."**_

Natsu smiled and nodded his head.

"Thank you END." Natsu said as he began to make his way back to town. He at least had to say his goodbyes before he left again.

"_**You can thank me when we don't have those Hunters chasing us." **_The Demon replied.

XXXX

_**Present Day…**_

_**Crocus, the capital city of Fiore…**_

_**The fifth and final day of the X792 Grand Magic Games…**_

Unnoticed by the crowds of people milling about the city streets as they took in the sights and festivities offered by the Grand Magic Games, Natsu sat cross legged atop an office building. With eyes closed and hands resting on his knees, Natsu inhaled and exhaled deeply as he let the scents of the city and its people permeate his senses.

He had arrived the day before and had spent the majority of the evening searching for Lucy and Happy's scents. With no results to be had, Natsu had caught a few hours asleep before resuming his search once again when the sun had risen.

It took a tremendous amount of concentration and willpower to sift through each scent that wafted its way to his nose. He wasn't accustomed to sitting still for so long. END for his part was doing his best to hone in on Lucy's magical signature but with so many souls packed into one place, END found himself taking his time as well.

He had contemplated just storming Sorcerer Magazine's main branch here in the city but END had shot the idea down the moment it had left Natsu's lips. It would draw attention if he did that. Unwanted attention.

So, Natsu had swallowed his pride and went with END's idea of looking for Lucy. Which is what he was currently doing right now.

Still, it beat the hell out running in circles and zigzags from place to place to avoid the Hunters. It had taken him a full week and a half before END believed they had thrown the demons for a loop. The moment END gave the all clear, Natsu had booked it to Crocus.

"_Any luck?"_ Natsu thought.

"_**I thought I found something a few minutes ago but it turned out to be someone else." **_END said, sounding exasperated at the lack of progress.

"_Well…keep looking I guess." _Natsu thought.

The two fell into silence doing their best to discern scents and souls before END spoke again.

"_**If we happen upon her, have you thought of what you're going to say to her?"**_ END said.

"…No." Natsu thought, "I haven't. I just want to see her…I…I don't think I'm ready to face her just yet."

"_**You can't avoid her forever." **_END replied, _**"Nor can you ignore your heart Natsu."**_

"I know…and that's the hard part." Natsu thought before his nose twitched.

It was faint and a few hours old but it was a scent; the scent of lilacs and berries. And beneath that fruity concoction…was Lucy's scent; her true scent which smelled of parchment and sunshine.

Natsu locked onto the scent and bolted up, leaping to the next rooftop before doing the same to the next.

"_**Did you find something?"**_ END said.

"It's faint, but I smell Lucy; I can smell her scent!" Natsu said.

Following the lingering scent of the spirit mage, Natsu soon came to an apartment building. Lucy's scent was stronger here…this must be where she was living since getting the job with the magazine. Following his nose to one of the apartments on the top floor, Natsu hopped down from his vantage point and made his way inside the building. There appeared to be no one in the building-most likely they were out to watch the games-meaning the odds of Natsu getting spotted were slim.

Following Lucy's scent, Natsu came to stop at her apartment door. A quick check with his Life Vision showed no one was home but when he tested the door, it was locked. No matter. He flicked his index finger out and let his armor form over and inserted it into the locks. Lucy probably would be livid if she found out he'd kicked her door in so he opted for a more subtle approach.

With a series of clicks, the door unlocked and Natsu quickly entered. The apartment was small compared to the one Lucy had owned back home in Magnolia Town but it was comfortable. Lucy's scent flooded his senses and he inhaled it deeply; savoring it.

Looking about the apartment, Natsu saw that it was organized and neat, just the way Lucy liked to keep things. He wandered to her desk and saw various papers and articles set about it and Natsu smiled softly, running his fingers over the papers as if to feel the handwriting.

"_**She's kept busy."**_ END said, _**"For a girl who's been on her own for a year."**_

"Don't remind me." Natsu said with a sigh.

He picked up a paper and read what was scrawled on it: JASON, ARENA, GMG COVERAGE ALL WEEK.

"_**Well, at least we know where she is now,"**_ END said, _**"shall we get going?"**_

"Yeah, the games should still be in full swing." Natsu said and turned to leave but paused.

"Hmmm?" Natsu said as he noticed a door slightly ajar. Opening it, Natsu found that it was a bed room; Lucy's room. Compared to the main apartment, the bedroom was filled with cluttered books, papers and magazines. His brow furrowing, Natsu stepped in and looked around…and paused when he saw a large map of Fiore set up on the opposite wall. Various papers, notes and connecting strings were attached to the map.

And it was all centered on Fairy Tail.

"_**I stand corrected,"**_ END said, _**"she's been **_**very**_** busy."**_

"What is all of this?" Natsu said as he looked at the papers and notes.

"All of these notes are incredibly detailed…they're all on information about the others, sightings, last time they were seen, where they currently are…"

Natsu paused and untacked one note that was written in bold letters and underlined in red. It read simply: NATSU?!

Natsu frowned deeply and put the note back.

"Fairy Tail…the others…I can't believe it's gone. What the hell was Master Makarov thinking?!" Natsu said before slammed his fist against the map, resting his forehead against the wall.

Lucy…she must have been so lonely for the past year. Even with Happy to keep her company, it must have been complete hell for Lucy…wondering about the others…where they were…where he was.

Had he known all of this was going to happen, he never would have left her side, regardless of the consequences.

"We're a nakama." Natsu whispered, "We're supposed to stick together, no matter what."

"_**What's done is done."**_ END said, "_**I am sorry Natsu…but as much as it hurts, you can't let this get to you. You have to focus on the here and now."**_

"Easy for you to say." Natsu snapped.

"_**Natsu I'm on your side here,"**_ END said, _**"but your wellbeing is also my own. Worry about this later…for now, remember why we're here."**_

"…Yeah," Natsu said after a pause, "Lucy."

The fire mage took a calming breathe.

"We're here to find Lucy and Happy." Natsu said.

"_**Then let's find them and lament later,"**_ END said as Natsu left the bedroom, _**"…and remember to lock the door on your way out."**_

XXXX

Natsu rested his back against one of the arches that supported the exterior of the arena, the shadows masking his appearance. He doubted anyone would notice him, considering all eyes-his included-were fixed on the arena floor where various mage groups duked it out for the number one title.

Having left Lucy's apartment-and remembering to lock the door after a mental slap from END-Natsu had changed to his Etherious form and used his powers to sneak into the arena. He nearly had two close calls with the guards that patrolled the arena but he managed to avoid them at the last minute. He then made his way to his current spot and settled in.

He still remained in his Etherious form-minus the maw-with his wings wrapped in their cape form around him.

Natsu let out a displeased sigh as he watched one of the competing teams get knocked out of the finals while the next round was being announced.

"These guys are actually competing to be the number one guild on Fiore?" Natsu said, unamused as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"What a bunch of idiots. They're just in it for the money and the fame. Hell, none of the big guilds from last year are hear either; what a letdown!"

"_**I must admit,"**_ END said, sounding equally unamused_**, "the majority of the mages competing in these trials do seem to be complete…schmucks." **_

Natsu snorted.

"Ain't that the truth?" Natsu said.

His eyes then left the arena floor and focused onto the stands below where all the spectators had gathered; particularly the bottom row at the edge of the arena. It had taken some scanning of the crowd and tuning his hearing, but Natsu had been rewarded for his efforts.

He had found Happy and Lucy.

His enhanced vision had immediately been drawn to Lucy. With her long golden hair, curvaceous frame and bright personality; she was hard to miss. He had released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding when he saw Lucy.

After a year apart, he was looking at her once more. She hadn't changed much, aside from her hair getting slightly longer, but he didn't care.

Natsu smiled to himself.

"You're safe Lucy…and that's all that matters to me." Natsu muttered.

He then noticed Happy waving two small flags while cheering on the contestants and the crowd as he appeared on the Lacrima Vision; the Sorcerer Magazine logo appearing above him.

Natsu chuckled when this happened. Happy had been a mascot for Fairy Tail and now he was one for the magazine. He seemed to be enjoying himself either way.

And so as the games continued, his gaze slowly alternated from Lucy and to the games and then back. He did this until the final round of the games began, when he paused upon seeing the bored expression on Lucy's face. He tuned his hearing and focused on the spirit mage just as Jason and Happy seemed to snap her out of her funk.

"Huh?! What?!" Lucy said as she gave her neck an embarrassed rub.

"I said, we're going to get a good article out of this final fight right?" Jason said while Lucy turned her attention back to the fight.

"To be honest, it's all a farce." Lucy said.

"What are you talking about? Skull Millione may have won all their fights but they've been coming in behind all the way." Jason said, "Maybe now they'll-"

"Like I said, it's a farce." Lucy said, cutting off Jason, "According to the notes I've gathered, Skull Millione has been hiding their true power in preparation for this final fight. Each member is stronger than their counterparts in Dullahan Head."

"W-WHAT!?" Jason said, his jaw dropping open in shock at Lucy's observation.

"Looks like they wanted to up their bookies profits, huh?" Lucy said, "See, this fight was over before it even started."

"Aye, looks like you were right Lucy!" Happy said, "Look!"

"WHAAAAT!?" Jason said turning his attention back to the battle…or what had been a battle.

Natsu's eyes too flicked to the arena…and he smiled.

Sure enough, Skull Millione had wiped the floor with their opponents without so much as suffering a scratch.

"COOOOL!" Jason called out in excitement.

"That was unexpected." Yajima said simply over his microphone.

"AN UNBELIEVABLE VICTORY FOR SKULL MILLIONE!" Chapati called out, "THEY ARE NOW FIORE'S NUMBER ONE GUILD!"

"Nice call on that Lucy, you never cease to amaze." Jason said while Lucy simply sighed. Happy gave her a comforting pat on her shoulder and had a similar look on his face.

"Yeah…" Natsu whispered, "Well done Luce. You've gotten stronger since I've left…and it's showing."

"I just can't believe these guys are now number one." Lucy lamented, "It just feels…wrong. It's not like how it was last year."

"Yeah," Happy said, "these guys are really lame."

A sad smile formed on Natsu's face.

Lucy was right. Without Fairy Tail or the other guilds, the mystique of the games seemed to be lacking. Sure it had been nice to receive the trophy for the games and the prize money, but the main reason Fairy Tail had competed in the games was to show that Fairy Tail was still the number one guild; to regain the honor they had lost in their seven year absence. The fights and trials with the other guilds had been one test after another but it had all paid off in the end.

Now…it seemed all that hard work had been for naught. The dingbats of this "Skull Millione" guild were now number one in Fiore. Natsu's skin crawled and heart broke at the thought.

"_**-STU!"**_ END's voice called out snapping the fire mage out of his thoughts.

"_**NATSU BEHIND YOU; WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! SNAP OUT OF IT!"**_

Natsu had been so lost in his thoughts and focusing on Lucy that he hadn't heard the voice in his head trying to warn him. That he hadn't felt his aura flare in warning or his sense go haywire.

He hadn't heard the hissing or the pounding of feet as a figure suddenly leapt out of the shadows and charged Natsu.

Natsu's eyes widened in shock when his eyes focused on his attacker.

It was a Hunter.

"SHIT!" Natsu cried out as he summoned a fire curse in his panic; just as the Hunter tackled him.

Natsu's curse, due to his panic, was severely overcharged the resulting deflection downwards caused the area where he'd been lounging to explode in a burst of flame and rubble; launching Natsu and the Hunter with him as they rode the explosion out to the bottom of the arena floor.

Natsu landed atop the Hunter with a hearty crunch. The thing was badly burned but still squirmed beneath Natsu…who quickly put it out of its misery by snapping its neck.

"END…" Natsu said, his voice low while his wings uncurled from his back and flared out, dispelling the smoke around him.

"_**I know Natsu,"**_ END said, _**"it would seem we weren't as careful as I thought we were in losing our pursuers."**_

A piercing cry that was a horrible mix between a scream and a roar of anger echoed out from one of the nearby stands and Natsu stood, looking just in time to see a Hunter scale the arena steps and leap down to the arena floor.

"_**The Alpha…" **_END said, _**"The Pack has caught up with us."**_

There were six other similar cries and Natsu spun around to see six other Hunters ignore the audience and traverse their way down to the arena floor; their attention strictly on him as they joined the Alpha in its charge.

Unnoticed to Natsu, the Lacrima Vision and the audience had focused on him and the hunters; both parties attention drawn by the bombastic arrival of the fire mage and his pursuers.

"_What do we do END?"_ Natsu thought.

"…_**Simple,"**_ END replied_**, "We fight...and show these things who the real hunter is."**_

"_My kind of fight."_ Natsu said as he glared at the demons.

His armored maw snapped into place around his mouth and jaw while he formed his fire around his left hand and summoned his arm blade in the other.

"Bring it on!" Natsu called out, "I'm all fired up!"

The Alpha was the first to close in on Natsu who blasted the demon back with the fire in his left hand. He then blocked a series of strikes from another Hunter before back flipping away from another. Landing and sliding down into a push up style position, Natsu's wings changed form into two, gnarled looking blades and lashed out when the Hunters attempted to rush him; swatting them back the way they'd come.

Three Hunters leapt into the air before quickly diving down and burrowing into the floor of the arena. The remaining Hunter and the Alpha kept back but circled Natsu like sharks.

Natsu stood in place but slowly turned tin place, stance wide, as his eyes alternated between the hunters and the ground.

"Where are you?" Natsu muttered, "Where are you?"

"_**Concentrate."**_ END's voice whispered in his mind.

Natsu inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, before standing completely still.

A minute passed.

Then another.

And another.

Then the ground behind Natsu and at his left and right, exploded outwards, the Hunters leaping to attack. When they were mere inches from tackling Natsu, he struck back. His still bladed wings flipped up and cut off the arms of the Hunter coming in from behind, while simultaneously hooking into it and tossing to the ground. Natsu's hands then snapped out to his sides and caught the two other Hunters by their throats and holding them up at such as they clawed and flailed at his arms and head.

"Not so tough now that I know how to fight you," Natsu said through clenched teeth, "are you!?"

Planting his boot onto the fallen Hunters head, Natsu twisted his hips and tossed the Hunter's away. They both bounced and rolled on the ground while Natsu pointed his right hand down at the Hunter pinned beneath him.

"Fire Curse," Natsu said, "Hell's Scattergun!"

A burst of flame formed in his hand to reveal what appeared to be a sawed-off, triple barreled shotgun…or what constituted as a gun considering the thing seemed to be made from a terrible combination of blackened metal, bleach white bone and metal chains that glowed a fiery red.

Natsu pulled the trigger and put the Hunter out of its misery at point blank range as the shrapnel loaded barrels incinerated it in a blast of fire and sparks.

The Alpha and the other Hunter were charging Natsu by then and Natsu formed an arm blade for his left arm. When the Hunter came in range, Natsu ducked and spun low before thrusting the arm blade up and impaling the Hunter on it, just below the sternum. Without looking, scattergun still in hand, Natsu's hand snapped out and blasted the Alpha away from him.

Natsu then brought the gun to the still struggling Hunter on his left arm and gave it a face full of shrapnel. Natsu retracted the blade and let the Hunter fall off, a head shorter than it had been a moment earlier as its body lit on fire.

Now there were three. The Alpha and the remaining two Hunters.

Natsu dispersed the scattergun but let his fire form on both hands.

"How is the Alpha still standing? I blasted him with the scattergun didn't I?" Natsu said aloud.

"_**Stronger armor," **_END said simply, _**"you'll have to get creative with that one."**_

Natsu grinned wickedly in reply.

The two Hunters charged Natsu in a zigzag manner before attacking him, surprisingly, with their tails. Natsu braced against the attack, bringing his arms up to block, and snarled in pain when the twin weapons slashed his arms and shoulders deeply. The Hunters then pivoted and double kicked Natsu in the gut, knocking him down.

But Natsu quickly rolled onto his back and spun his legs out as they became lit in flame.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Claw!" Natsu said, landing hits onto the Hunters and kicking their feet out from under them. Natsu's hand grabbed the one Hunter by its tail and yanked it to him.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!" Natsu said as a burst of speed from his flames allowed him to punch the hunter in the chest and down into the ground; causing it crater in break while at the same time, shattering the Hunter's spine.

Natsu quickly turned around and snapped his hand out just as the other Hunter fired a series of spikes at Natsu.

"Vector!" Natsu said. Once again, the air before his hand shimmered and warped like the water of the sea as if it was being manipulated by some invisible force. The spikes hovered in place, still rotating as if in flight while a series of glowing runes carved themselves into the spikes. Natsu just as quickly turned his hand from horizontal to vertical and uncurled his fingers. The spikes rotated back to face the Hunter and were launched with the same, if not greater, speed at which they had been launched.

Having not expected Natsu to perform such a maneuver, the Hunter was riddled with its own spikes; much to its horror. Natsu then snapped his fingers, the runes on the spikes lit up, and the hunter disappeared in a tremendous explosion.

Natsu then turned to the Alpha. The final member of the Pack.

"And then. There. Was. One." Natsu said as he glowered at the Alpha.

"How about I show you who the real "Alpha" is, eh pal?"

The Alpha's mandibles and mouth opened and the demon roared in challenge at Natsu. Natsu's maw snapped open as he stomped his foot forward and roared with equal fury; meeting the challenge.

A challenge that would prove to be one sided.

The two then dashed to each other and collided in a flurry of claws, punches, armor and grapples. The Alpha managed to hook its one claw into Natsu's shoulder before it sank its teeth and mandibles into the other. Natsu grit his teeth and smashed his elbow down onto the back of the Alpha's skull repeatedly, finally knocking it loose.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Natsu snarled as he grabbed the Alpha by its own elbows and kneed it in the gut twice with all the ferocity he could muster.

Gagging and gasping the Alpha stumbled back only for Natsu grab its shoulders again and smash his forehead against the Alpha's. Dazed, the Alpha was open for the finishing attacks.

"Cursed Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!" Natsu said as he swiped his arms in a circular motion, creating a barrage of fire that sent the Alpha flying up into the air.

His eyes then fiercely glowed green as cracks formed at the edges while his maw snapped open.

"I'M A' FIRIN' MAH LAZER!" Natsu yelled, his tone bursting with excitement.

A small shockwave of air popped out before him as his optical laser was fired at full power. The laser reached its target half a second after it was fired and vaporized the Alpha on contact in a fiery, midair explosion.

Natsu starred at the cloud of smoke for a minute before his grin slowly faded. He then let his shoulder slump forward and let out a heavy sigh as he pinched his brow.

He had enjoyed that last part a little too much.

He had enjoyed how easy it was crushing a lesser opponent beneath his boot.

Natsu sighed again. That wasn't like him. Not like him at all.

He had changed.

He most definitely had changed.

"_**Well done Natsu,"**_ END said, "_**we shouldn't be seeing any more of those things for some time."**_

"_Can Zeref make more of them?"_ Natsu thought as he changed back to his normal form.

"_**Yes…but it takes a period of time to do so. We should be fine for now."**_

"_That's a relief."_

Natsu was snapped out of his thoughts when the audience suddenly burst out in a cacophony of cheers, hoots, and hollers.

"CAN YOU BELIVE IT?!" Chapati called out over the loudspeakers as the Lacrima Vision focused on Natsu.

"IN UNBELIEVEABLE DISPLAY OF POWER, NATSU DRAGNEEL OF FAIRY TAIL HAS RETURNED!"

Natsu could only look dumbfounded as he starred up at the audience. He had forgotten he was in the middle of the arena…with people watching.

But amidst the voices on the loudspeaker and wild frenzy of the crowds, Natsu heard two distinct voices call out to him.

"Natsu!" The voices called out.

"Natsu!"

Natsu spun around to see Happy fluttering down from the stands with Lucy in his grip.

"Happy!" Natsu said as smile broke his face, "Lucy!"

As soon as Lucy's feet hit the ground, she bolted over to Natsu. She then came to stop before him, her chest heaving as she caught her breathe. Tears streamed from her eyes as she took in Natsu's appearance.

"Lucy…"Natsu whispered.

"Natsu…" Lucy replied as she slowly stepped forward.

Natsu watched as a range of emotions played out on her countenance and in her eyes. Disbelief. Shock. Fear. Anger. Surprise. Apprehension.

Relief.

It all culminated into relief.

Lucy's hand snapped up as if to slap Natsu across the face but she stopped herself. Natsu was still as his eyes remained trained on Lucy while the spirit mage brought her now shaking hand to caress his cheek. Her other hand came up to rest against his chest; against his heart.

"Natsu!" Happy called out in glee as he slammed against Natsu's chest in a hug. A hug that Natsu returned.

"Natsu…" Lucy choked out as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, hands still on Natsu, "Is…is it really you?"

With one hand still holding Happy, Natsu pulled Lucy into a fierce one armed hug; his arm wrapping around the woman he loved.

"I'm here Lucy," Natsu said as he frame shook from a suppressed sob, "I'm back."

The two looked at each other with tear filled eyes.

"I'm back." Natsu said with a smile despite his tears.

"Natsu." Lucy whimpered, a shaky smile forming on her own lips.

And then, for the first time in over a year, Natsu Dragneel bent down to Lucy Heartfilia and delivered a passionate, soul burning kiss. Lucy's hands shot up to wrap around Natsu, to hold him close.

The audience went wild but the two ignored the spectators. They only focused on each other.

Eventually, the need for air caused them to pull apart but Lucy remained close to Natsu, who rested his forehead against hers.

"Welcome back," Lucy said with a teary smile, "you big idiot."

XXXX

A/N: And cut! That's a wrap people! What did you think of this chapter!?

Natsu and Lucy are back together after more than a year apart while our beloved fire mage has showcased his new power. As for the Hunter's speaking…this chapter will be the last time I do that so don't worry. I just thought it fitting for a one time use.

Dear lord, this took me most of last week and this week to write but here it is! I am happy with how this turned out and I'm excited as to where I'm thinking of taking this story over the coming chapters.

Now, on a more serious note, I only have three weeks of college left for this semester. Classes are starting to wind down and final exams are approaching. With all that's going on, I will be focusing my energy on papers, final projects and studying for exams. If I can work on writing I will but my main priority will be school for the next couple of days.

I will write…just when things have calmed down.

In the meantime, I am going to update (yes, I am going to update these two) "Vendetta" and "Kids: Knight's Tale," within the coming weeks and then come back to this story. By then, the manga should have updated enough to the where I can begin to plot out the rest of this second arc.

Next time; Alt. END Chapter 3: Reunited

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	8. Alt END Chapter 3: Reunited

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

First of all, I want to sincerely apologize for taking so long to update this story. Between college ending for the year, my exams (which I passed by the way) and working on other things (both writing wise and stuff in my life) I was a bit preoccupied before finally getting back to this story.

I want to thank all of you who patiently awaited an update for this story so I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. I think there are some of you out there who may enjoy this chapter in particular. There's a scene in this chapter that although not explicit or detailed…it should give you all an idea none the less.

Speaking of this chapter, if things seem a bit condensed plot wise or not exactly in line with the current manga arc, I have reasons for this. There's only so much I can put into once chapter and I have to take a little creative liberty with things. So if things seemed rushed or not in full detail, time and plot restrictions added to this.

So, last time we saw Natsu make a bombastic return after fighting off a new set of enemies sent by Zeref to retrieve Natsu. With the threat dealt with for the time being, Natsu has reunited with Lucy and Happy as they begin to reconnect after a year of being separated. We now join them in the aftermath of the Grand Magic Games…

And as usual, here is a shout out to you wonderful readers who left a review for the previous chapter:

_**Wacko12: **_Hey dude, welcome back! Natsu's curses are whatever I can think of along with enhanced versions of his already existing powers. I made this evident in the last chapter. Don't expect too much from me, I'm not going all out with some things like you are with your stories. As for the Enforcers, they'll show up in the next chapter just be patient please.

_**Grapes: **_Hello and welcome back! I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far and it's nice to hear that my writing style is so well liked.

_**Jbadillodavila: **_Hola y bienvenidos de nuevo ! Cómo te va? Me alegro de que haya disfrutado de la escena reuninon . Yo también hubiera gustado que había sucedido en el manga , pero por desgracia no fue así. Sin embargo , comunicaba con el camino las cosas van en la historia , no debe ser largo antes de que consigamos una escena así.

_**Sailor Pandabear: **_Hello and welcome back, glad you liked the chapter!

_**Eien ni Touko: **_Hello and welcome back, how are you doing? It was 3AM last time, what time is it now? I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. "Gend" for Good END's nickname…I'll have to think about that one. Yep, Natsu has some new powers to show off as there's more of that to come and truth be told, that isn't the last we've seen of the Hunters. And if you liked the reunion in the last chapter…you'll love what happens in this one.

_**Johnny Spectre: **_Hello and welcome back! So last chapter needed more melting clothes eh? Well in that case you may enjoy what comes next in this chapter.

_**Myami95: **_Hello and welcome to the story, how are you doing? I'm…I'm at a loss of words to your response; I'm flattered that you've enjoyed the story as much as you have! I wouldn't call this story a master piece (you're too kind). I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed the story so far and thank you so much for the wonderful compliments, they mean the world to me. And, if you liked the reunion last time then you'll love what happens next.

_**HazelDragonNora: **_Hello and welcome back, how are doing!? As always it's nice to hear your input on the chapters and I'm glad you enjoyed all the things I added in the last chapter. Yep, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have Natsu find a magazine with Lucy in it. Good END is a part of Natsu so it's natural for him to have an interest in him. But he's also a good guy so that helps too. The reunion was fun to write and I think that if you liked it that much, you'll love what's to come. As for any other FT mages seeing Natsu and Lucy kiss…you'll have to read on to find out. Zeref, in this arc of the story is not dead. In this plotline, Lucy saved Natsu before he could kill Zeref. Thank you for your patience, enjoy the chapter!

_**Zivyx: **_Hello and welcome back! I assure you, Lucy will strut her stuff in the next chapter, just wait and see!

_**Winter Chase: **_Hello and welcome to the story! To answer your question, Natsu can change back to his "human" form at will but he prefers his new "battle" form if anything. He cannot use his old magic as it has been replaced by his new curses, however his old magic has in turn been enhanced by the curses. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far because there's plenty more to come!

_**sabrina-luna-potter: **_Hello and welcome back, glad you enjoyed the previous chapter!

_**Sara lovelymusic: **_Hello and welcome back! I had a lot of fun writing the previous chapter and this one; I just love to write in general! And I passed all my college classes and finished the year strong with a 3.5 GPA!

_**Guest: **_Hello and welcome to the story, sorry for making you cry! I…I just couldn't resist, the temptation to have Natsu do that was too tempting!

_**JokesOnYou: **_Hello and welcome to the story. Sorry man but when you have a death wish, you have a death wish. And in Zeref's case, he's set on dying…not the other way around.

_**JustTheFun: **_Hello welcome to the story. I can't tell if you are joking with me or not. But, for Natsu dying, this is not that kind of story. I can understand why you may have wanted that but this is not that type of story. I'm sure if you look elsewhere you can find a similar story more to your liking. Have a nice day.

_**OoohYes: **_Hello and welcome to the story! I take it from your response that you are enjoying things so far?

_**Fallout-boy97: **_Hello and welcome back! How are you doing? It's okay if you don't know what to say :) If that's the case, just say whatever is on your mind!

_**IceMageNinjaTalia: **_Hello once again my dear, how are you? Welcome to the story and welcome aboard the feel train. Sorry for making you cry once again; but if you enjoyed the last chapter, you'll enjoy this one even more.

So, now that that's taken care, let's continue with the story, shall we?

XXXX

_**Arc 2: Alternate END…**_

XXXX

CHAPTER 3: Reunited

XXXX

_**Then…**_

_**Elsewhere in Magnolia towards the end of Natsu's fight…**_

Mirajane Strauss hummed merrily to herself as she finished cleaning the mugs set before her and began to stack them onto the bar rack behind her. It was her last day on the job before she and Lisanna made their way back to Magnolia Town. Their bags were already packed and ready to go but their employer had asked the two sisters to help out one last time.

Mirajane's smile faltered slightly, as she thought back to the aforementioned letter. Although it had been a year, she missed everyone from Fairy Tail terribly and it panged her heart when she thought of Lucy…the poor girl must have been so lonely. Especially with Natsu having disappeared to parts unknown.

Mira sighed before her smile was rekindled on her face.

"No need to fret," Mira whispered to herself, "we'll all be home soon and we'll all get back together. Everything…everything will be just fine."

"Something wrong Mira-nee?" Lisanna asked as finished folding a set of napkins.

"No, I'm just over thinking that's all." Mira said, having finished her task.

"You ready to get going?"

"Yep," Lisanna said as she tied her hair back into two pigtails, "I'm ready when you are. How long do you think it will take to get back to Magnolia?"

"A few days at best but I'm sure the others are well on their way by now." Mirajane said.

"Do you think the others got Lucy's letters?" Lisanna asked.

"I don't think so, I know so." Mira said with a sweet smile, "Trust me little sis, we'll all be waiting for Lucy when she gets home."

"Right…" Lisanna said before lowering her eyes and frowning, "Do…do you think Natsu will show up? That he knows about everything?"

Mira smiled gently, left the bar and walked up to her sister; taking her into a gentle hug.

"I miss him too sweetie." Mirajane said, "But I'm sure in one way or another, Natsu will make his way back home. And I'm sure he and Lucy will be reunited."

"…You're right. I'm just worried about him that's all. I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't." Lisanna said, making her sister giggle.

Mirajane made to answer but suddenly froze, a shiver running up her spine.

"Mira-nee?" Lisanna asked, pulling back, "What's wrong."

Mirajane's pupil's had shrank visibly as a very…peculiar smile formed on her lips.

"My shipper senses are tingling," Mira whispered, "I feel as if something wonderful has happened-"

And in the blink of an eye, the mother hen of Fairy Tail had suddenly changed into her Satan Soul form, haphazardly pulling Lisanna into a tight embrace.

"_**-AND I MISSED IT!"**_ Mira roared in frustration.

"M-Mira-nee!" Lisanna chocked out in panic, "You're crushing me!"

XXXX

_**Now…**_

_**With Natsu…**_

"I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you again young man." King Fiore said to Natsu from his throne with his daughter Hisui and Chief Arcadios at his sides.

The fire mage turned demon stood before the King of Fiore at an attentive manner with his exposed hand on his hip. Natsu gave his trademark grin and a light bow of his head.

"Same here gramps," Natsu said, earning a few glares from the nearby guards, "I certainly was gone for a while wasn't I?"

"You gave us all quite a scare when you simply upped and disappeared like that." The King continued, "I even had Sir Arcadios dispatch a few of his men to go look for you to help ease the worry of your Guild…but they never found anything…and your Guild disbanded as I'm sure you already know".

"Yeah…I know," Natsu said, a melancholic look briefly appearing on his face before he smiled brightly, "but we won't stay like that forever. Just you wait, Fairy Tail will be back together in no time."

"Ah, getting ideas in your head now are you," the King, "thinking about bringing the old gang back together?"

Natsu's smile diminished as he averted his eyes to his boots, shaking his head as he did so.

"…No sir, I'm not. Now is not a good time for me to try and attempt something like that. There's some…"personal business" of mine that I have to see through until I can even start thinking about that."

"This personal business of yours," Arcadios said, "would it have anything to with what happened at the arena today?"

"Aye." Natsu said, looking up at the knight.

"What were those things?" Hisui asked, "I've never seen anything like them before."

"They were a hindrance that has been dealt with." Natsu said flatly.

"That's rather vague wouldn't you agree?" The King asked.

"They're my problem…so I'll handle them my way. Believe me when I say this, they're more interested in me than anything else. If they show up again…well, you saw what I did back at the games." Natsu said.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about the incident that happened in the arena today?" Arcadios said, retrieving a small bundle of papers from beside his chair.

"The statement you gave the guards has some rather large gaps in it concerning what you've been up to the last year and as to what really those creatures are."

"Like I told you," Natsu said, "I wanted to get stronger to protect the people I cared about so in order to do that, I had to leave Fiore. Once my training was completed, I came back here only have those monsters come after me. I don't know why they're doing this but I assure you, I'll kick their asses seven ways to Sunday if they ever show up again."

The Kings eyes moved to the dark marks on Natsu's right arm before looking back to the fire dragon slayer.

"Young man, you wouldn't be lying to us now would you?" The King said, lacing his hands together and narrowing his eyes inquisitively.

"…No sir." Natsu said.

"Are you sure?" The King enquired further.

"Yes…sir." Natsu said, his tone hardening only slightly and a defiant flint glowing in his eyes.

The two held each other's gazes for an unspoken minute before the King once again smiled in his jovial manner.

"Well then, I see no reason to doubt you then. It's obviously your business and you'll handle it of your own accord. Am I right you two?" The King said glancing to and from Hisui and Arcadios.

"Everything seems fine to me." Hisui said with a smile.

"If his majesty believes so…then who am I to doubt him." Arcadios said.

"With that being said, I am pleased to announce that you are free to go of your own accord. All charges pressed against you have been dropped and you are acquitted of any wrong doing." The King said.

"Acquitted, your majesty?" Said one of the nearby guards who had escorted Natsu to the King.

"As in released? Innocent? Free to go?"

"Yup; he's a free man!" The King said with a friendly grin, making Arcadios sigh while Hisui giggled.

"But sir, he caused a mass disturbance at the arena and damaged the structure itself. He interfered with the games and prevented the winning team from accepting their award." The guard continued.

"And then there were those monsters."

"Oh please, I could've mopped the floor with them if I had both my hands tied behind my back." Natsu muttered under his breathe.

"_**Why do I have a feeling that if we hadn't been interrupted, you would have done just that?"**_ END said in the back on Natsu's mind.

Natsu simply snickered in response.

"A perfect case of self-defense. A little damage was to be expected given such a fight occurred." The King said.

"As for the rest...just chalk it up to youthful exuberance."

"Your majesty!?" The guard said in disbelief.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way." Natsu said, "I have someone special waiting outside for me and I want to catch up with her."

"Ah, Miss Heartfilia I would presume," The King said with a sly, playful grin, "Then by all means my boy, go get your girl. I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on indeed."

"Thank you sir." Natsu said, with a bow of his head, "Your Majesty, Arcadios, Princess…"

Natsu gave another polite bow of his head and turned on his heel, leaving the way he'd came.

"He certainly is quite the character." Arcadios said.

"Of that we can both agree." The King replied.

"Should we be concerned about him hiding things from us?" Arcadios added only for the King to shake his head.

"Let him be Arcadios. The boy can be trusted. He gave us his word that he would handle whatever is bothering him and we should respect his decision." The King said.

"…As you wish then your majesty." Arcadios said with a small smile of his own.

XXXX

"AND DON'T COME BACK!" An irate guard hollered at Natsu, shaking his fist in anger as the castle gates were slammed shut.

Natsu simply grinned like that cat that caught the canary.

"_**Don't act so smug Natsu,"**_ END said, _**"we might not get lucky the next time something like this happens."**_

"_I know, I know."_ Natsu thought back, "But that guard overreacted to the point where it was just too funny."

"_**Well, you did show everyone that you are now a one man killing machine."**_ END quipped.

"…_Point taken."_ Natsu thought.

His gaze then caught sight of Lucy and Happy who were waiting for him just a few paces down the road. Lucy and Happy waved their hands high, the latter doing so in a rather excited fashion, as Natsu returned the gesture.

When he was close enough, and without preamble, Lucy took a single stride forward and wrapped her arms around Natsu, drawing him in close and resting her head against his chest. Happy in turn quickly scampered up Natsu's leg and made his way onto the fire mages shoulder.

"I take it you were you were acquitted?" Lucy said as Natsu's hand cupped the small of her back while his other scratched Happy on his chin.

"Yep, I'm home free…for the time being anyways." Natsu said with a slight chuckle.

Lucy sighed gently angled her head up to look at Natsu. He'd gotten taller, she noticed. It wasn't a marginal difference but it was a noticeable one none the less.

And speaking of differences.

"Look at your hair, it's a mess." Lucy said as she moved her hand to fiddle with Natsu's pony tail while her other tucked a few loose strands of hair behind Natsu's ear.

"It's weird seeing it all long and pulled back like this."

"Not all of us can have long, silky flowing hair like you Luce," Natsu said with a grin, "besides, you know I look badass like this."

"If you say so," Lucy said with a playful roll of her eyes, "c'mon, let's head back to my place and I'll have Cancer give you a haircut. In fact, you can stay with me again, it'll be like old times."

Although she had tried to hide it, Natsu could hear the apprehension in Lucy's voice. He even Happy tense on his shoulder. They were afraid he'd up and leave…again.

"I'd like that…I'd like that a lot." Natsu said with a smile, kissing Lucy's forehead as he did so.

"Wonderful." Lucy whispered and rested her head against Natsu's chest once more. The two stood there together, simply holding each other for a few quiet minutes before Lucy took Natsu's hand and led them on their way.

As the two made their way through the streets of Crocus, Natsu noticed that Lucy was holding his hand a little tighter and was staying closer to his side as well. And he could practically hear her heart hammer in her chest. Frowning slightly, a guilty look crossed his features.

"_If I had known things had gotten this bad…that she'd be alone…I never would have left her. To hell with the risks, I should've been there for her damn it!"_ Natsu thought.

"Natsu?" Lucy said, snapping him out of his stupor.

"Oh, hmmm?" Natsu said.

"You alright?" Lucy asked, "You spaced out there for a minute."

"Oh, sorry, just thinking." Natsu said.

"Thinking?" Lucy arched her brow, "Since when do you think things through?"

"I've had a year to practice and hey, I've found that it works out pretty well for me thank you very much." Natsu said, punctuating the last word by quickly tapping Lucy on the tip of her nose, making her giggle.

"What did you think about Natsu?" Happy asked, "Did you think about fish?"

"Heh, I thought about all kinds of things buddy; all kinds of things." Natsu said.

"I thought of you…of Lucy…everything that happened. I had a whole year to do so."

"_A whole year…"_ Lucy thought sadly, _"Natsu...there's so much I want to talk to you about; to tell you. But I'm not sure how to do that."_

Biting her lip, Lucy casted a nervous glance to Natsu.

"You…you know about the Guild right? About everyone?" Lucy asked.

Natsu gave a solemn nod.

"Yeah…we're disbanded. I still can't believe it. I mean, for crying out loud, what the hell was the old man was thinking!?" Natsu said, his tone tensing.

"I don't know." Lucy answered, "Master Makarov made the announcement a few days after you left. It blindsided everyone. We really didn't know what to do…except to just go our separate ways."

Lucy frowned deeply and increased her hold on Natsu's hand.

"Then the Master disappeared to who knows where…and I've been doing my best to keep tabs on everyone else."

"I'm sorry Lucy," Natsu said, "I really am."

"…When did you hear about it all?" Lucy asked.

"I only found out about it a weeks later…I happened across a news stand and saw the articles about it." Natsu said.

"I…I nearly lost it when I saw the news you know. END really had to kick my ass to get me to calm down."

Lucy froze in her tracks, her grip on Natsu's hand became white knuckle tight. The sudden jerking stop caused Happy to fall from his perch with a yelp.

"W-What did you just say?" Lucy whispered while her skin visibly paled; the memories of the previous year flashing before here eyes.

"Lucy…" Natsu said only to pause when he saw the tears rapidly pooling in Lucy's eyes.

"Lucy…don't cry. It's okay," Natsu said as he pulled Lucy to him, ignoring the stares of the passing citizens, "I'm fine."

"No," Lucy choked, "it's not. I…I don't understand, I thought I stopped him and now you tell me he's still inside of you. Is…is that why you had to leave? Was it because of him?"

Natsu sighed heavily and used his thumbs to brush away Lucy's tears.

"It's true that I had to leave because of E.N.D…but it's complicated. In fact, it'd be better to wait to tell you until we got back to your place." Natsu said.

"But…I…" Lucy said only for Natsu to silence her with a chaste kiss.

"Trust me…please." Natsu said.

"…Was it my fault?" Lucy whispered and Natsu grabbed the spirt mage by her shoulders, instantly catching on to the meaning of her words.

"No!" Natsu hissed, "Never! Don't you even think like that Lucy! I promise you, you had nothing to do with what is wrong with me. I'll…I'll tell you everything when we get to your home okay?"

"Okay," Lucy said, her voice slightly choked, "okay."

Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes as Natsu gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, resuming their walk to Lucy's apartment.

"I've said this to myself many times Lucy," Natsu said, breaking the silence, "and now I'm telling you; if I could have, I would have asked you to come with me. But…things just went out of control too quickly for me to have asked you."

"…Was there anything I could have done to help you?" Lucy asked.

"_**Not particularly."**_ END answered dryly.

"I don't know." Natsu spoke instead, sending a mental punch END's way.

"Yo Lucy, looking hot as always!" A voice called out followed by a cat call whistle.

"Hey Lucy, haven't seen you in the magazine in a while; mind striking a pose for us?!" Another voice called out.

The mages and once cat looked off to their left where a group of men were casting Lucy some very leering looks towards the young woman.

"Oh no, not those guys again." Lucy groaned as she hid her face in her palm; her face colored red in embarrassment.

"Perverts!" Happy called out, "Go bother someone else!"

But the men ignored Happy…much like had done in the past.

"Hey, who's that guy?" One of the men asked, "Looks like a total freak to me."

"Hey Lucy, why don't you ditch that dweeb and-"

The men's leering and cat calling was instantly silenced thanks to the death glare Natsu casted over his shoulder and hissed like an enraged crocodile. For extra emphasis, he made his eyes glow their fierce green.

The display of annoyance coupled with anger was enough to make the perv's squeak and scamper off in fright.

Lucy and Happy blinked in shock before looking to Natsu who smiled sheepishly.

"That's new." Lucy said with a chuckle.

"But it worked." Natsu added, "Besides, I can't have people talking like that to _my_ Lucy now can I?"

Lucy only blushed in response but not avert her gaze from Natsu.

"Wow Natsu," Happy said in awe, "can you teach me how to do that?"

"I can try Happy but I don't know how well it'll work when you do it." Natsu said, making Happy pout slightly and Lucy giggle.

"Well, that's the price I pay for having been a model." Lucy said.

"I figured as much." Natsu said, making Lucy cock her head slightly in a curios manner. It was then that Natsu produced the magazine he had acquired all those months ago.

It took Lucy a minute to realize what Natsu was holding but when she did, she broke out into a furious blush while her eyes threatened to pop out their sockets.

"N-NATSU!" Lucy cried out in alarm, "W-WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET THAT!?"

"Look Lucy it's one of the old magazines you were in." Happy said, oblivious to the situation.

Natsu for his part was cackling like an idiot. Even in his mind, END was doing his best to suppress his laughter.

"I got this from a magazine stand in Hargeon Town," Natsu said, "it was shortly before I left to go training…elsewhere. I will admit Luce, some of the things you posed to in this magazine even had me hotter than a ghost pepper."

"Natsu…" Lucy said, once again burying her face into her hands. Only for Natsu to pull them away and make her look at him.

"That magazine got me through some tough days when I was training Luce. I wouldn't even read some of the stuff in there, I'd just look at your picture and think about you…doing that kept me sane; it kept me from losing control."

Lucy sighed softly before gently pulling Natsu into her embrace.

"Knowing that…I don't care about being embarrassed. I'd rather have you in one piece than care about how I looked in some magazine." Lucy said.

Natsu simply hummed softly in response.

With that matter settled, the trio were on their way once again. After walking a few more blocks, Natsu once again found himself back at Lucy's apartment.

"_**So…"**_ END said frankly, _**"how are you going to tell her we were here already?"**_

"_To be honest, I'm afraid to do so."_ Natsu thought, grimacing to himself while END let out an amused laugh.

"Well!" Lucy said brightly, "Here we are, home sweet home."

"Aye!" Happy added.

"Eheheheh," Natsu said as he began to rub the back of his neck, "uhm, yeah funny thing about being here."

Lucy raised a brow and crossed her arms while Happy's tail bobbed in a curios manner.

"What?" Lucy said, "Natsu, what aren't you telling me?"

"I…uhm…was already here." Natsu said with an embarrassed grin, "I snuck into your apartment before I went into the arena…I had to sniff you out to find this place."

"YOU WHAT!?" Lucy and Happy said in unison, making Natsu hold up his hands defensively.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier!?" Lucy said, "Did you break anything!?"

"I was going to, but with everything that happened, I kind of forgot!" Natsu said, "And no, I didn't break anything!"

Lucy sighed heavily and pinched her brow.

"Look, I had no idea where you were so I followed my nose here. I picked the lock on the door, did some looking around and once I knew you were at the arena, I headed straight there." Natsu said.

"I even locked the door on my way out."

"_**Because I reminded you to do so."**_ END said, but Natsu ignored him.

Lucy was still pinching her brow but smiled none the less. It was so like Natsu to do something like this. Even though he had changed drastically over the past year, it was comforting to know that some of his old, familiar habits hadn't changed.

"I mean," Natsu continued, "what else was I supposed to do? It was either find out where you lived or go to Sorcerer Magazine and threaten everyone with bodily harm until I was told where you were!"

"Natsu," Lucy said in a calming tone, "it's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm…I'm just glad your back."

"Are you sure…I mean, I know you don't like it when I do this kind of stuff." Natsu replied.

"I'm sure…now come on. Let's get inside and we can catch up from there." Lucy said with her trademark smile.

"Right!" Natsu said with a grin.

XXXX

One of the first things Lucy did was summon Cancer to give Natsu a much needed haircut. As much as she simply loved seeing Natsu with longer hair, the Dragonslayer was more comfortable with keeping his hair in its usual short, spikey self. Although, the tips of his hair remained blackened, if not darker than they were before.

After that, Lucy let Natsu take a bath to clean himself up. While Natsu washed, Lucy set about washing Natsu's clothes. To her amazement, they were surprisingly clean with only a little soot and dirt gathered on them from the fight earlier in the afternoon. When asked about this, Natsu explained that END was a bit of a neat freak. He refused to let Natsu go more than a few days without washing or cleaning his clothes. Whenever a water source was available, Natsu would heat up the water and rinse and for his clothes, he simply manipulated his fire magic to burn away the grim and grit that had gathered on his clothes.

With his bath finished, and clothes washing, Natsu toweled off and used his magic to summon a pair of black cargo slacks to wear…minus a shirt, pants, cloak and boots which were being washed.

Lucy had just started to prep dinner-which would be stew and pot roast-when Natsu finished, so there was ample time to talk while everything was being prepped.

They sat across from each other in the living room, Natsu on an armchair while Lucy and Happy took the couch. The blue cat had fallen asleep, leaving the two mages to talk.

"I have to admit," Natsu said, glancing around the apartment, "this place isn't as big as your last one…but it's very comfy."

"Well, my rent got to the point where I couldn't pay it anymore." Lucy said, sipping her tea, "With the guild gone, I had no income source so Happy and I had to look elsewhere. Hence the job with the magazine. I get paid well enough for what I do and Jason and some friends of his at the Magazine actually helped me find this place."

"I'll have to thank Jason for taking care of you like that." Natsu said with a small smile, taking a dreg of his own drink.

"Yeah, Jason's a bit on the hyper side of things but he's a really nice guy." Lucy said, "He even tried to look for leads on everyone when he went to a couple of places on assignment."

"For the map in your room right?" Natsu asked, making Lucy double blink and become slack jawed in shock.

"I saw it Luce," Natsu continued, "the notes, the news clippings, the magazine articles. You have most of Fairy Tail pegged down to that map."

Lucy set her cup down on the coffee table before them and sighed heavily.

"I…I did that so I could make sure where everyone was. To know that they were alright, know what they were up to…and to make sure I could find them when the time comes to get the Guild back together." Lucy said.

"You think there's a chance of Fairy Tail reforming?" Natsu asked.

"Don't you?" Lucy quipped.

"…I believe there's always hope of that happening Luce. We're Fairy Tail…you can't keep us down that easily." Natsu replied with a grin.

Lucy smiled in turn; Natsu's grin was too infectious. But then her smile faltered as another thought crossed her mind.

"Natsu," Lucy said, her tone becoming somber, "I was able to find most of Fairy Tail…and I have a rough idea as to where everyone else is. But through all my searching…there was one person I couldn't find a trace of."

Natsu was silent as he slowly wrung his hands together.

"You." Lucy said and Natsu flinched when he heard the pain in her voice.

"Natsu, the King sent people out to look for you. Jason and his friends looked for you just to help me out. And I grabbed at every scrap of news or lead that I could find…but you were nowhere to be found."

Natsu didn't respond, he simply kept silent. Even as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"After you left…the first few days after you left I mean, I…I was a real wreck. Levy and Gajeel were coming over to visit me when they found me on the street. I couldn't stop crying and it took me forever to calm down. I…I was heartbroken."

Natsu still didn't answer. He had closed his eyes in resignation and let Lucy continue. He was afraid of what would happen if he interrupted her.

"Nobody knew where you were. You had just vanished into thin air. You…you should have seen how angry Gray and Gajeel were with you; they even went off looking for you in hopes of trying catch up with you. Even Laxus spent some time looking around the area outside of town with the others. While that was going on, Levy, Erza, Mira and a few of the other girls stayed with me for a bit to make sure I was okay…to make sure I didn't do anything stupid."

Natsu opened his eyes then and looked Lucy straight in hers. Both their eyes reflected the same images of the pain and sorrow they both were feeling.

"But then…then the Master disbanded the Guild and as much as everyone wanted to look for you, they had to go. Eventually, Happy and I left Magnolia Town, found Jason and ended up here. But I never stopped searching for you Natsu. I never gave up hope that you were safe; that you were alright. Some nights I'd just lay awake and ask where you were, what you were doing and when I would see you. But my questions were never answered…until today."

Lucy sighed heavily and wiped away her tears before looking Natsu square in the eyes, holding his gaze.

"Natsu, please…just tell me; where were you? And why…why in god's name did you leave me behind?"

Several, unspoken minutes passed before Natsu rose from his seat and moved to Lucy, sitting by her side. He then took her hand into his…and let her turn it over while her other hand slowly traced the curse mark on his right arm. All the while, her eyes roamed his upper body, taking in the new features that she had not seen earlier.

The curse mark started at the tips of his knuckles and then smoothly and evenly ran up, wrapped and conformed to his forearm, bicep and shoulder in a flame, almost tribal like pattern. There were several new scars on his chest and abdomen while a particularly nasty looking one ran across his back. His eyes, which followed hers, had a slight, almost unnoticed glow to them. There was a hardness to them that hadn't been there before and Lucy suspected it was because someone-correction-something else was sharing Natsu's mind.

"You want to know why you couldn't find me." Natsu said, breaking the silence.

"It's because, I wasn't in Fiore. In fact I wasn't even on the continent at all."

Lucy quirked her brow in confusion. Did this mean he had gone to the islands to the southwest or two the far western continent itself?

"I…I went back to a place I thought I would never set foot on again." Natsu said, "Someplace where our lives were changed forever."

"Natsu…where did you go?" Lucy said.

It was then that Natsu took a hold of Lucy's hand in a gentle, yet firm grip.

"Tenrou Island." Natsu said, "I went back to Tenrou Island Lucy."

The breath left Lucy's lungs in a sharp, surprised gasp; the memories of eight years prior violently flashing before her mind's eye.

"T-Tenrou!?" Lucy said in alarm, "Y-You went…why would you…just…why!? Why on earthland would you ever go back there Natsu!?"

"…Because it's the one place where people would never think to look for me." Natsu said, "Because it's the one place where I could train and not worry about losing control of my powers."

Natsu, his right hand still in Lucy's, let his armor form on his arm up to his elbow. His fingers became dagger like but they did not cut Lucy's skin; only in anger would Natsu us his claw to bring harm.

"I went to Tenrou to learn how to control that." Natsu said, letting his arm revert to normal.

"Shortly after the fight with Tartarus, when we were all settling back down, I started having memories-nightmares actually- of my time as E.N.D. And even though you had gotten rid of his physical form Lucy, a part of him still remained in my head. He was trying to get back out, trying to drive me crazy."

Natsu paused before smiling slightly, his eyes looking elsewhere as if he were lost in memory.

"But END, the good half that fought to help you and the others, he had survived as well. And he promised to guide me…to help me regain control of from E.N.D. And so in order to do that, to make sure I didn't lose control, I had to go off on my own…until it was safe."

Lucy was silent as she let the information sink in. And then a thought crossed her mind.

"Wait, if you were on Tenrou, does that mean something happened to make you leave the mainland?"

"…Aye." Natsu said with a sad nod of his head, "We originally went to the mountains to begin our training. And for the first few weeks, END and I had made progress in learning to control my new powers. But then I learned of Fairy Tail disbanding and…well…I freaked out and lost control."

Natsu's shoulders were visibly tense and his eyes were wide in fear at the memory. Only when Lucy comfortingly rubbed her thumb over his hand did Natsu calm down.

"You know how I said END had kicked my ass to calm me down?" Natsu said, receiving a nod from Lucy, "Well, I went off on a rampage on a mountainside. END managed to summon enough power to manifest some sort of "real form" and he just laid into me. I don't remember much but apparently, END had to repeatedly punch my lights out to stop from E.N.D from awakening.

"Once I had awoken and had calmed down, then I saw how much damage I had done…I had caused a landslide and portion of the forest was burnt to a crisp. It was then that I realized what would have happened had I lost it around a people…had I been in a town or a city. I never would have forgiven myself had something like that happened. So after some talking and END probing my memories, we both agreed that the best place to train from here on out we would train on Tenrou Island. It was far enough away and out of place that no one would know I was there."

The two were quiet for a while before Lucy spoke again.

"Natsu, what happened on the island? Didn't it bother you to go back there?" Lucy asked.

"…No." Natsu said with a smile, "It was weird to be perfectly honest but then again, END and I weren't totally alone out there."

XXXX

_**1 Year Earlier…**_

_**Tenrou Island; 2 weeks after leaving Fiore…**_

With an explosive, pained gasp, Natsu collapsed to the ground, both hands clutching his chest and coughing up blood violently.

"**Get up Natsu,"** END said_**, **_**"I only shattered your rib cage. You're stronger than that so stop your coughing, heal yourself and get back on your feet."**

The demon had manifested himself before Natsu in manner similar to how he had appeared to him on that fateful day months ago; the day that Natsu learned that E.N.D hadn't truly died.

Currently, the demon and the fire mage were engaged in one of their usual training sessions. However, they were no longer in Fiore. They were on an island Natsu thought he would never return to; Tenrou Island. The island where a war had been fought between two Guilds and where the dark dragon Acnologia had attempted to annihilate Fairy Tail eight years ago.

The training END was putting Natsu through was admittedly, even by the fire mages standards, some of the most grueling training he had ever undertaken. Day in and day out, END worked Natsu to the bone starting with strength training, physical conditioning, sparring, before another set of sparring. Adding in time for meals and rest, upon which Natsu was lucky to catch five to seven hours of sleep, the days were passing quickly.

And then there was magic and curse control. Since the curse had been awoken within him, Natsu had to relearn all the magic he already knew in conjunction with his new curse powers and other abilities. It was draining and arduous to say the least.

But with each hit, each spell and each new day, Natsu could feel himself getting stronger. He could feel E.N.D's influence fading with each passing day as the bond between him and END was strengthened.

"**C'mon Natsu, up and at 'em."** END said.

Natsu coughed again as he focused his power on healing his ribs and soon after the bones were stitched and popped back together, Natsu was back on his feet.

"Is that…is that the best you can do?" Natsu rasped before taking an offensive stance.

"**You tell me?"** END said, **"I just broke your ribs and shattered your spine earlier."**

"If that's all you've done then I'm just getting fired up!" Natsu said as he bolted forward towards END.

Natsu threw a sharp, straight punch which END quickly ducked beneath and caught Natsu's arm over his shoulder before delivering a cross punch that nailed Natsu in the jaw. Letting of Natsu, END quickly pivoted on his foot and delivered a spinning round house kick to Natsu's abdomen, sending him flying into a nearby rock cluster.

Just as quickly, Natsu vaulted out of the rubble to leap high into the air before bringing his fist back and smashing it down into the ground where END stood. When the dust settled-to Natsu's surprise-END was not only still standing but had caught Natsu's fist in his palm.

"**Time and time again I tell you Natsu, you can't take me on with brute force alone."** Before Natsu could react, END yanked the fire made down and hit him with a horizontal elbow strike.

Rather than let Natsu fly back, END pulled Natsu back and delivered a straight knee strike to Natsu's abdomen. END let Natsu drop to the ground where he lay, clutching his stomach.

"**There's still much for you to learn Natsu,"** END said, **"but for now, heal up and go find yourself some dinner. We're done for today."**

"N-No." Natsu said, pushing up on his hands and knees, "I can still fight! Let me fight!"

"**No Natsu,"** END said, wrapping his wings around his shoulder like a cape, **"enough is enough. Find something to eat and rest up. We'll continue later."**

END's tone left no room for argument. With an agitated grunt, Natsu pushed up off the ground and sauntered off, uttering a series of choice words under his breathe.

END, still in his astral form, watched the young man walk off before he directed his gaze to the nearby sea. The training area was a flat, rocky area that ended with steep cliffs at the edge. The water glowed brightly against the slowly setting sun and END walked up to the very edge of the cliffs to continue watching the sunset. In another life, he would have paid no mind to such a simple joy the world offered…but now, he intended to savor such little things while he could.

For he knew someday soon, he and Natsu would have to face Zeref again. And that only one of them would be making it out alive in the end.

"**Then again,"** END mused to himself, crossing his arms, **"you wouldn't have it any other way would you…brother."**

"Are you ever going to tell him that little secret?" A voice said from behind. But END wasn't surprised, he had sensed her presence since he and Natsu had arrived on the island.

"That you and Zeref are brothers I mean?"

"**I remember you…"** END said as he turned around**, "you were there with Fairy Tail, guiding them against Tartarus. A ghost only they can see."**

"Now I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a ghost." A petite young girl with long and glowing blonde hair and vibrant green eyes said.

"**Who are you?"** END asked.

"My name is Mavis. Mavis Vermillion. Founder of Fairy Tail and its former first master." Mavis said with a bow of courtesy.

"**Etherious Natsu Dragneel." **END replied, **"END for short."**

"I know. You certainly made a mess of things back on the mainland." Mavis said, "But most of all you're quite the heartbreaker…taking him away from her like that."

"**How do you know that?"** END asked.

"I am bonded to all who bare the crest of Fairy Tail. The bonds formed at that guild transcend not only life but death as well...now, explain to me why you took Natsu away from Lucy."

"**It needed to be done. If I didn't do something my other half would have torn him apart along with all who got close to him. She would have been one of the first to die."** END said.

"**I half to make him stronger so that he can be ready for when the end comes."**

"Are you so sure you can prepare him for such a thing?" Mavis asked, "A final fight between brothers. You and I both know that this is going to end with the three of you dying."

"**It won't…"** END said, **"Zeref is my brother and I will handle him on my own. Natsu is merely a part of me that developed on its own. He has the right to live while I…I am long overdue to return to death embrace."**

"Are you going to tell him any of that?" Mavis said.

"**When the time is right I will."** END replied coolly.

"Liar." Mavis stated sharply, "Don't you dare try lying to me."

"**So what if I am. It's my lie to tell; same goes for the truth." **END said.

Mavis drew her lips into a thin line as she scrutinized END.

"Tell me…do you honestly have Natsu's best interests in mind." Mavis said.

"**I do."** END replied without hesitation, **"Him and I are one. But we are different at the same time. He has a destiny all unto his own…while mine has been set in stone. But for the time being…I intend to do all that I can to look out for him."**

A heartbeat passed.

And then another.

"Very well END," Mavis said with a gentle smile, "I believe you…and leave Natsu in your care."

"**Thank you." **

"Hey END!" Natsu called out, appearing from the nearby tree line with a cooked fish on a skewer, "Who're you talking too?"

As Natsu drew closer, his eyes lit up as a smile formed on his face.

"No way!" Natsu said in surprise and glee, "First Master is that you!?"

"Hello Natsu," Mavis said with a soft smile, "it's good to see you again."

XXXX

_**Now…**_

"Wow…," Lucy said, "that's right, I forgot that the First Master was buried on that island. And she helped train you too?"

"Not really, she just watched me for the most part and gave me some pointers here and there. END was the one who did all the work getting my ass into shape." Natsu said.

"_**You're damn right I did!"**_ END said but Natsu ignored him…again.

"Thought, he never did tell me what he and the First were talking about." Natsu added as an afterthought, "Ah, probably nothing."

"Yeah, if it was important, I'm sure he would have told you." Lucy added with a smile.

Natsu expected END to make a reply but oddly enough, he kept silent. He was brought out of his thoughts when Lucy squeezed his hand.

"All my training has finally paid off…E.N.D has no hold over me anymore and I've gotten my powers under control." Natsu said.

"Natsu…I'm just happy that you're back. To see that you're okay. I thought you had left me and Happy behind because it was something we did…but now, I know you were just trying to protect us. And I'm grateful for that…I really am." Lucy added.

"Lucy, I'd go to hell and back for you if it meant keeping you safe." Natsu said, bringing Lucy's hand to his lips and gently kissing the knuckles, making Lucy blush but smile none the less.

The chiming of the dinner bells broke their revere and awoke Happy.

"Oh!" Lucy said in surprise, "It's that time already, I'd better get that lest we have burnt food for dinner."

"Anything would be better compared to the stuff I had to live off of for a year." Natsu said drly, making Lucy giggle.

Together, the set the table and spent the remainder of the evening catching up on a years' worth of lost time. Natsu talked about his training and his time spent on the island while Lucy and Happy regaled Natsu with the many stories and events they had covered for the magazine. Lucy also told Natsu that aside from her search for him and the other Fairy Tail mages and her time with the magazine, she had spent some considerable time with her Celestial Spirits by training on her own. Hearing that made Natsu eager to so how far Lucy had come along since the previous year.

Eventually, the hour became late and Natsu realized how tired he was from the day's events. After helping Lucy clean up the dishes, Natsu looked around for a blanket and pillows for the couch.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"What does it look like?" Natsu retorted, blanket in hand, "Crashing on the couch, what else?"

"Oh…" Lucy said and averted her eyes…as a blush spread across her face.

"What is it?" Natsu asked.

"I…uhm…I was wondering if you would come to bed with me." Lucy whispered, not meeting Natsu's gaze.

"You know…like we used to sleep."

Natsu's eyes were wide yet he was silent. Both of them were. Slowly closing his agape mouth, Natsu looked at the blanket in his hands, then the couch and then Lucy. He smiled then and nodded his head.

"…Of course." Natsu replied softly as he draped the blanket over Happy who was fast asleep on the couch.

The two were quiet as Lucy switched off the lights to the apartment and after getting ready for bed herself, did the same for her room after changing into her panties and an oversized tee shirt while Natsu simply summoned a pair of black boxer shorts. In the dark of the room, Lucy noticed that Natsu's eyes glowed a pale green in the darkness while the starlight outside provided some illumination. Taking Lucy's hand, Natsu guided her to the bed amidst the clutter of her room and soon enough, the two were settled beneath the covers.

"Your eyes are glowing," Lucy said, settling in to Natsu, "does that mean you can see in the dark now."

"Mhmm." Natsu replied, his arm wrapped around Lucy's shoulder and holding her close.

"END says because of my new powers, my already heightened senses have gotten an overhaul."

"What can you see?" Lucy asked.

"Everything." Natsu replied, his eyes moving to look out the window. Despite the lights of the city, he could still see the seemingly limitless amount of stars that filled the sky.

The two mages were quiet, simply enjoying each other's company.

Natsu felt his body relax as he listened to the gentle rhythm of Lucy's breathing while her heat pounded softly against his chest.

"When I was on the island, there would sometimes be nights like this…no light…no moon…just the stars to light everything up." Natsu said.

"Sometimes, END would let me sit there and watch the stars…there were so many…too many to count…and the light they provided was unreal. And I'd just sit there until the sun rose…and I'd wish you could have been there with me. I also thought of where you were, what you were doing, if you were alright; stuff like that. The stars…they reminded me of you."

"…I missed you." Lucy whispered as she clung to Natsu even tighter, "I missed you so much."

"I know." Natsu whispered, regret in his voice.

"I cried myself to sleep more times than I cared to count, I was so worried about you. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again." Lucy croaked and Natsu could smell the tears brimming in her eyes.

"But I'm here now Lucy." Natsu said, "I'm here and we're together again."

"But for how long?" Lucy replied.

Natsu froze at the comment and he closed he closed his eyes tightly. Her words were worse than any physical blow he had ever received.

It was a while before he spoke again.

"I promise you Lucy, I'm not leaving you the way I did last time. I'm never doing that to you again." Natsu said, his tone soft but resolute.

"But is that a promise you can keep?" Lucy asked.

Before Natsu could reply, she rolled onto her side effectively ending the conversation. Natsu could only sigh heavily in reply.

XXXX

The hours slowly passed by.

Natsu had yet to fall asleep as he silently kept his eyes focused on the outside world while listening to the steady beat of Lucy's breathing.

"_God I really screwed that up."_ Natsu mentally berated himself.

"_**Can you blame her?"**_ END replied, _**"You know what she wants after all."**_

"_I'm not putting her in harm's way END."_ Natsu said.

"_**She's a strong woman, she can handle herself." **_

"_Not against what we fight."_ END mentally snapped.

"_**No one says she has to fight against Zeref and his demons. But even I can see that you to value each other immensely. Why do you deny yourself the happiness you deserve?"**_

"_It's not that simple END…"_ Natsu gritted his teeth, _"I…I nearly lost her last year…I had to leave her behind…and now, I don't even want to think about what would happen if I put her in harm's way again or did something to break her heart."_

Natsu bit his lip.

"_I can't lose her! I just can't!"_

"…_**Natsu,"**_ END said, _**"I promise you, I will not let that happen; to either of you."**_

"_What do you mean?"_ Natsu said.

"…_**When the time comes…you'll understand. But for now, don't worry about it. Oh…she's awake too by the way."**_

As if on cue, Lucy slowly rolled back to facing Natsu before shifting her weight so that she lay atop him; straddling him. It took Natsu a second to realize that Lucy hadn't been asleep at all; she had laid awake just as he had.

Before Natsu could speak, Lucy's hands moved to gently cup his face as she raised herself so that she was looking Natsu in the eyes; her long, loose hair framing his head like a set of silken curtains.

"Lucy…" Natsu whispered, his eyes wide in awe.

It was then that as Lucy's thumbs gently brushed his cheeks did Lucy dip down and press her lips to his in a deep, passionate lip lock.

A startled grunt escaped Natsu's throat but he made no move to push Lucy away as his hands moved to hold her waist. When their lips parted, Lucy rested her forehead against Natsu's; starring deeply into his eyes.

"Lucy…" Natsu said again only for Lucy to reconnect their lips. She let her hands roam over his chest while she further deepened the kiss; this time bringing her tongue into the mix.

It was a sensory overload for Natsu and he found his mind begin to go blank as he felt Lucy's skin become heated while her heart hammered in her chest. Natsu found his own hands moving up and down Lucy's back, making her groan into the kiss and pushing Natsu further over the edge.

With a gasp, she pulled back, her face a deep shade of red that even Natsu could see.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered heatedly, "Natsu."

And then in a single, smooth movement, Lucy grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head, tossing it aside and leaving her chest and torso bare for Natsu to see.

"L-Lucy!" Natsu stammered in shock, "What…what are you doing!?"

"Natsu…I…I want you to make love to me." Lucy said.

"Lucy…" Natsu said in shock.

"Please...I want you to be my first…I've wanted you to be my first for a long time now." Lucy said as she took Natsu's hands into hers.

"Wait…Wait, Lucy think about this!" Natsu began to protest but was cut off by the sheer determination Lucy held in her eyes.

"I have thought of this Natsu…I've had a whole year to do so. I want this…I need this…I want you Natsu…I…I need you."

"Lucy." Natsu said again.

A torrent of emotions played out in Lucy's eyes and Natsu found himself trying to discern what he saw.

She was nervous.

She was apprehensive.

She was determined.

But most of all, Natsu could see the unconditional love that burned in her eyes. Eyes that were solely focused on him. And judging from the way she held his gaze, Natsu was positive he wore a similar look on his face.

And…a part of his mind, the rational part, told him to resist; that they were both emotionally stressed from the day's events. But the more dominant part, the animal part that had always driven Natsu, told him to give in and allow him and the woman he loved to embrace and share some god damn happiness for once.

It was then that Natsu realized why he wasn't a panicking mess right about now. He wanted Lucy as much as she wanted him.

He wanted her…he needed her.

He wanted this…they both wanted this. They both wanted each other.

It was a split second decision but it was Natsu's decision none the less.

Without preamble, Natsu pulled Lucy back down to him and mashed his lips to hers. It took Lucy just as quickly to realize that Natsu had given her an answer and without hesitation, she gave into the sensations of Natsu's hands ghosting over her body as she in turn returned the favor.

The bedroom became filled with heated gasps and needy pants. And soon enough, the reminding barriers that kept the two mages from each other were removed and Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia began to make love for the first time; a year's worth of pain and loneliness seamlessly being ebbed away by the love and passion the two felt for one another.

"_**Yeah…uhm…I'll…I'll just give you two some privacy and…yeah…"**_ END said at the back of Natsu's mind as he let his presence recede further back…

…And an hour and half later, Natsu and Lucy lay in a tangled heap of limbs and bed sheets. From the nearby wall and from the floor, two smoking holes were burned into the wood and plaster; courtesy of Natsu's scattergun when the neighbors had begun to pound on the barriers to get two lovebirds to quiet down. The weapon's blast was enough to ensure that Natsu and Lucy's coupling remained uninterrupted.

Also of note, Happy was still asleep outside. Considering all the noise that had been made it was a damn miracle that the teasing blue cat hadn't said or done anything.

Which was fine by both Natsu and Lucy.

They held each other close, basking in the afterglow while the heavy sheens of sweat that glistened on their bodies began to cool. They stared at one another, their eyes half lidded but with content smiles on their lips.

"I…I didn't realize how much I needed that." Lucy said, making Natsu chuckle.

"You and me both." Natsu replied, "I'm am curious as to how you learned to do that one thing with your tongue however."

"Pervert." Lucy said, tapping Natsu on the nose.

"…There's no turning back from this is there?" Natsu said as she thoughtfully starred at the ceiling, making Lucy nod in response.

"No." Lucy replied, listening to slowly calming beat of Natsu's heart.

"Do you regret it?" She asked.

"…If you're asking me if I regret loving you…then my answer is absolutely not. I love you Lucy and nothing will ever change that. What we just did was something we both needed…what we both wanted." Natsu replied, making Lucy smile.

"I'm glad to hear that, I really am." Lucy said, tracing her finger in a circular motion against Natsu's chest.

A moment of silence passed.

"You'll be leaving again won't you? In the morning?" Lucy asked, her tone disheartened.

"Aye," Natsu replied dismally, "I have no idea if any more Hunters are out there…and who knows what else Zeref is cooking up. I need to leave before any more trouble starts. I don't want you or anyone to get hurt and-"

"Take me with you." Lucy cut in.

"What?" Natsu replied.

"Take. Me. With you." Lucy said evenly, shifting so that she and Natsu were eye to eye.

"Lucy-" Natsu began but was cut off again.

"No Natsu, listen to me!" Lucy said, "Please…just…just let me help you this time! Let me be there for you! You've always supported me, you've always protected me; let me return the favor for all that you've done!"

"But I don't want you to get hurt!" Natsu said, "I don't want to lose you; not again!"

"Natsu," Lucy said, cupping his face again, "I understand that. But what about me? I don't want something happening to you either; I don't want to lose you too!"

The two were quiet as they held each other's gazes once again.

"Natsu…I've gotten stronger this past year. Let me show you that I can help you, that I can stand by your side and fight with you. That we can stand together like we once did…and face whatever comes…together." Lucy pleaded, gently.

Natsu was silent as he ran his hand through her long, golden strands.

"There's no convincing you otherwise is there?" Natsu asked.

Lucy simply shook her head.

"Then promise me…promise me that you will never leave my side. No matter what happens, we stay together."

"Do you even need to ask?" Lucy said with a cheeky grin.

Her response was a kiss from Natsu. When he pulled back, he let Lucy rest her head under his chin.

"If we do this, you need to know that I won't be looking for a way to get the Guild back together. I'm still…I'm still need to settle my own problems before we can worry about that."

He could feel Lucy frown against his skin.

"But…I could use a new destination to head off to." Natsu said, with a smile, "Know any good places?"

Lucy smiled in turn.

"I think I know a place." Lucy said.

"Then tomorrow…let's start our new adventure." Natsu said, "Together."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Lucy replied as she and Natsu kissed one more time…before drifting off to sleep.

XXXX

_**Three days later…**_

_**Tuu Village…**_

Hand in hand, Natsu and Lucy took a look at the village they had just entered.

Days before, Lucy had packed her bags and had left with Natsu for the next leg of his journey. She had left a note for Jason which thanked him for all that he'd done for her while detailing her reasons for leaving. She wasn't worried about Jason being upset with her…he was an easy going guy and he knew she'd be safe with Natsu.

Now, they stood in Tuu Village, looking for a place to spend the night.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Happy asked, noting the blank look Natsu wore on his face.

Following his friends gaze, Happy saw that Natsu was staring at a clock tower. A very familiar clock tower.

"Hey Natsu!" Happy said brightly, "Look, it's the clock tower you broke from all those years back!"

"Yeah, looks like they fixed it." Natsu replied.

"Aye, but now there's this weird brick and concrete border on it from when they fixed it." Happy replied.

Natsu was quiet for a moment.

"In that case, maybe I should break it again so they can fix it properly." Natsu said.

"_**Put one scratch on that thing and I'll break your legs from the inside out."**_ END said in an even but warning tone.

"On second thought, never mind!" Natsu answered quickly, "Gah, I just need to cut loose and fight someone! I have all this pent up energy from training that I just need to get rid of!"

He then turned to Lucy with a sly grin.

"Hey Luce, want to go around or two?" Natsu said.

"Depends on what you mean." Lucy answered in her own sly manner, "Sparring or something more…_intimate_?"

Natsu made to reply but paused when his body froze and his eyes focused on something off in the distance; something only he could see.

"END, did you hear that?" Natsu said to himself as he quickly summoned a ball of fire in his hand.

"_**Yeah, but they're a ways out."**_ END replied, _**"Think you can make the shot?"**_

Natsu's response was to duck low and fire off two quick bursts of flame…that went right between Lucy's legs and off into the distance. Lucy let out a surprised squeak in response.

After a moment of silence, a slight presence made itself known at the back of Natsu's mind, making him grin.

"_**Bullseye."**_ END said, _**"And to top it off, the old man is okay and the bandits are unconscious."**_

"And here you doubted me." Natsu said with a grin.

"Natsu," Lucy said, "what was that all about?"

"Ah, it's nothing don't worry." Natsu replied, "So, after we rest up here, where are we going next?"

Lucy blinked her shock away before pointing out the desired direction.

"Margaret City." Lucy said, "It's the home to Lamia Scale."

"Lyon and Jura's guild?" Natsu asked, receiving a nod from Lucy, "Why, what's there?"

"Not "what" Natsu," Lucy said, "but "who." She's someone we hold very near and dear…and someone who will be mighty happy to see you again."

Lucy was vague with details from then on, but soon enough, the duo of mages and one cat had arrived in Margaret City…just in time to see what appeared to be the start of a town wide festival.

"What's with all of this?" Natsu asked as he took in all the sights and sounds.

"Yeah," Happy said, "is it someone's birthday or something?"

"No Happy, this is Lamia Scale's Thanksgiving Day." Lucy said, "It's like the Harvest Festival back home in Magnolia. It's Lamia's way of showing their thanks for all that the townspeople have done for them and to promote further harmony…oh, look over there, the main show is starting!"

Natsu and Lucy made their way to a large stage where they arrived just in time to see Lyon start off the event with a display of his ice magic. With Yuka announcing the events, the rest of the act proceeded with Toby performing once of his bizarre "imitation acts" and then to Lamia's guild master herself, Ooba Babasaama, perform a dance that nearly divulged into a cringe worthy strip show. Thankfully Lyon intervened in ending each acts to spare the audience any further trauma.

"_**What in the hell was that all about?" **_END asked.

"Don't ask me man, because I really don't want to know." Natsu replied.

"And now ladies and gentlemen!" Yuka said, his voice picking up in enthusiasm, "The act you all have been waiting for, please give a warm welcome to our beloved angels, our guilds pride and joy; The Sky Sisters Wendy and Chelia as they perform their song "Angel Love Slayer"!"

It was then that the crowd went wild as two familiar faces stepped out onto the stage, waving to the crowd. They were Wendy Marvell and Chelia Blendy…both dressed in elaborate costumes that drew the attention of all present.

"Those two have always been good friends." Lucy said demurely with a slight smile of pride as she watched Wendy and Chelia begin their act.

For his part, the moment Natsu laid eyes on Wendy, he began to freak out as his jaw went slack and his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets.

"What the hell is she doing?" Natsu said in utter dismay, "More importantly, what the hell is she wearing!?"

"_**Well, she certainly grew up."**_ END said in a matter of fact tone, _**"There certainly are no shortage of men clambering at the stage for those two…to be honest, I expected my old nemesis the "Pedobear" to make an appearance right about now."**_

"_THE WHAT!?"_ Natsu hissed.

"_**Eh, never mind,"**_ END said quickly with a shudder, _**"it's…it's something I'm really, REALLY, not comfortable talking about. You're better off not knowing."**_

"I've got to rescue her from this horrible act!" Natsu said as tears comically ran down his face.

"Relax Natsu, it's not like she was forced to do this in the first place," Lucy said, "a lot of people had to find new work once the Guild broke up. Wendy just wound up here with Lamia Scale, that's all."

Natsu simply groaned into his palm.

"Hey, if Wendy's here," Happy said as he hovered in the air, looking this way and that, "then where's Carla? They're normally together aren't they?"

"I knew you'd show up sooner or later." A voice said from behind, making the trio turn around to see a young girl with white hair wearing a black outfit. But her most distinguishing features were the pair of cat like ears the poked out of her head while a tail bobbed behind her.

"Lucy, male cat-pardon, I mean-Happy…" and then the girl looked to Natsu and her smile dropped in favor of a look of shock.

"Natsu? My word is that really you!?"

"Huh?" The mages and one cat said in unison.

"Don't you three recognize me?" The girl said with an irritated huff, "It's me; Carla!"

Carla could only watch as the dumfounded trio before her processed the revelation. She could practically hear the gears grinding to a halt in their heads.

"WHAT!?" The trio screamed in shock.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HUMAN!?" Natsu said in absolute shock, taking the words right out of Happy and Lucy's mouths.

"Oh, this?" Carla said, tossing her hair over her shoulder, "It's a form of transformation magic I learned. In this form my magic and diviniation powers increase two fold."

"Wow, that's amazing Carla." Lucy said in awe, "You look really cute if I might add too."

"Thank you." Carla said with a smile, "So, what are you three doing here. Especially you Natsu, considering how you vanished like you did. I'd expected to hear your name pop up on the other side of the continent all things considered."

"Eheheheh," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's a long story. But Lucy and I have started off on something else and she pointed us in this direction. When she told me that Wendy was here, I figured since that we're passing through, we'd pay her a visit."

"I'm sure she'd really appreciate that." Carla said with a warm smile, "She's missed you terribly. She's missed everyone…look, the show just wrapped up so I'll take you to Lyon and the others at the guild."

"Lead the way." Natsu said.

And so the cat turned human led the trio through the dwindling crowds and the hustle and bustle of shops closing down for the evening. It wasn't until they reached the center of town that they finally reached Lamia Scale's guild hall.

"Lyon!" Carla called out as they crossed the guild threshold, "We have guests!"

Said ice mage appeared a moment latter before the small group.

"Well I'll be damned," Lyon said with a broad smile, "you three are a sight for sore eyes! How the hell have you been Lucy, Happy, and Natsu?"

"Lyon, good to see you." Natsu said as he and the ice mage shook hands.

"Hello Lyon, long time no see." Lucy said with a bow while Lyon patted Happy on the head.

"I'll say," said Lyon, "what brings you guys out here? Last time I checked Lucy you and Happy were working for Sorcerer Magazine and Natsu, you had dropped off the face of the earth."

"Natsu and I reconnected," Lucy said, taking Natsu's hand, "and we've started off on something new. We were passing by and thought we'd say hi to Wendy before we moved on. Is she around?"

"Yeah, I'll take you to her." Lyon said, leading them across the hall and towards the back.

And standing there, talking with Chelia, was Wendy.

"Wendy," Lyon said, "you've got visitors."

The petite sky dragonslayer turned her head and went slack jawed when she locked eyes with Natsu and Lucy.

"How you doing Wendy!?" Happy said brightly.

"Hello Wendy, it's been a while!" Said Lucy.

"What's up!?" Added Natsu.

With tears brimming in her eyes, Wendy broke out into what may have been the brightest smile Natsu had ever seen on her face.

"NATSU!" Wendy cried out as she ran up to her long lost friends, "LUCY! HAPPY!"

With outstretched arms, Lucy and Natsu took Wendy into a surprisingly strong hug.

"Ooof," Natsu said, "that's quite the grip you got there little lady."

"Y-You're alright." Wendy sobbed, making Natsu pause while Lucy and Happy silently pulled away.

"N-Natsu…I was so worried about you!"

Natsu sighed gently and kneeled so he could let Wendy move into a better hug.

"I missed you too sweetie," Natsu said, "and I'm sorry I left like that. But I'm all better now, I promise."

It would be several more moments before Wendy pulled back from Natsu.

"It's…it's wonderful to see you!" Wendy said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "It really is!"

XXXX

_**Later…**_

_**The Viper Inn…**_

"Well, it certainly turned into an eventful evening didn't it?" Lucy asked as she finished brushing her teeth.

"Yep, still can't believe I missed out on so much. Now I really feel like an ass." Natsu said.

"I mean, the Magic Council was reformed by the Ten Wizard Saints for crying out loud; I'm just happy to hear they won't be giving us much trouble like the last guys…before they were all blown up I mean."

Lucy giggled but her smile quickly faded.

"Still no word about Master Makarov though," Lucy said, "even Lyon said that Jura doesn't even know where he is."

Natsu frowned as well.

"I know." Natsu said, "And then Lyon pulled us aside and asked us to check up on Gray and Juvia when we left town."

"Yeah, he's really worried about them. I hope they're alright." Lucy said.

Lyon had informed the two that shortly after Fairy Tail had disbanded, Gray and Juvia had taken up residence in an old town that wasn't that far from Margaret City. The two had moved there to better train and focus on their powers and once Lyon had caught wind that they were close to Lamia Scale, he had kept in contact with them ever since.

But then, six months ago, Lyon stopped receiving letters and messages from both Gray and Juvia. It was…odd and a little unnerving for them to go so long without contacting him or Wendy. Lyon knew the ice and water mage were preoccupied with their training but for them to go dark for six months was unheard of.

Lyon and Wendy would have checked in on the two themselves, but things had been so busy at Lamia Scale that they hadn't found the time to do so. Natsu and Lucy's arrival was the perfect chance for both Lyon and Wendy to get the answers they wanted.

"I'm sure they're fine." Natsu said, "We'll just head their way and pay those two a visit. Maybe I'll kick Gray's ass for making Lyon and Wendy worry so much."

Lucy offered a halfhearted smile.

"I…I just feel like something is amiss." She said, biting her lip only for Natsu to walk up to her and pull her into a hug.

"Those two are unstoppable when they're together. I'm more that sure they're fine."

"…Yeah…you're right." Lucy conceded.

"Speaking of unstoppable, Wendy seemed like she was doing everything to get us to stay at the table and talk some more." Natsu added.

"Well, can't say I blame her." Lucy said, "It's been a year since she's seen us so she probably wanted to catch up with us much like I did with you; especially you Natsu."

"Why me?" Natsu asked.

"Well…when you left, aside from me, I think Wendy was the second person who took your disappearance the hardest." Lucy said.

Natsu paused and lowered his head in shame.

"You helped bring her to Fairy Tail Natsu and she's eternally grateful to you for doing that. But most of all, you were like a big brother to her. She loved you as if you and she were of the same blood. She was so distraught with worry that she got terribly ill for a day until Porlyusica got her to calm down." Lucy continued.

"She's probably afraid of you disappearing again just like I was until we agreed to stick together."

"I know." Natsu said glumly, "And I intend to make it up to her…I promise you that. Well hang around for a little longer tomorrow before we head out. And then after we visit Gray and Juvia we'll spend some extra time after that."

Natsu turned to face the window.

"It's not much, but it's the best I can do for now." Natsu said as Lucy came up and hugged him from behind.

"Just do what you think is right Natsu." Lucy said.

_BAM!_

_BOOM!_

_CRASH!_

"The hell!?" Natsu said in alarm, rushing to and opening the window.

"What was that noise Natsu?" happy asked groggily from his spot on the bed.

"It sounds like it came from the center of town!" Lucy said.

"Those sounds…those are explosions! The Lamia Guild Hall is under attack!" Natsu said.

"Attack!? From who!?" Lucy said in shock.

"_END?!"_ Natsu quickly thought to his alternate persona.

"_**I sense multiple hostile targets within my sensory range. They're spread throughout the town and are causing mass havoc. The mages of this town are holding their own but they won't last long; they need help."**_

"_Right, I got the message." _Natsu said as he summoned up his curse magic.

"_**It may get ugly out there Natsu, we don't know what we're up against. I recommend you call upon your heavy armor."**_

"You read my mind." Natsu said aloud as he changed into his etherious form. Once his transformation was complete, Natsu crossed his arms in an "X" shaped manner.

"Strength Curse," Natsu said, "Heavy Armor!"

With those words, Natsu's wings wrapped around his body and congealed into a black mass that quickly conformed to certain areas of his body and hardened.

Natsu's already armored skin and sleek appearance had taken on a new form. His hair was completely black now while his eyes glowed brightly and fiercely. Armor had formed to cover the rest of his head that had once been exposed while his maw gleamed with an almost metallic sheen. His chest, back, torso and shoulders had broadened out with the armor having taken a form similar in appearance to an actual armored vest while a protective collar had formed to protect the back and sides of Natsu's neck. Thicker looking armor had also formed on Natsu's forearms, thighs, knees and shins, giving him a bulkier appearance yet maintaining a certain streamlined element to it.

"Wow." Happy and Lucy whispered in awe.

"The town is under attack," Natsu said as he began to lean out the window, "and they're going to need all the help they can get."

It was then that Natsu looked over his shoulder, his maw turning up in a wicked grin.

"What do you say Luce?" Natsu said, "Want to go kick some ass?"

Lucy smirked as she retrieved her keys, belt and whip from the nearby table. Strapping her ensemble on, Lucy gave a grin of her own to Natsu.

"Let's give 'em hell Natsu," Lucy said, "I'm all fired up!"

XXXXX

A/N: And cut! That's a wrap people! What did you think of this chapter!?

Natsu, Lucy and the gang are back together as they begin to mend their relationship on surprisingly new ground. However, Lamia Scale is under attack and that means it's time for the duo to strut their stuff. And what of Gray and Juvia; what has become of them? All shall revealed in due time!

I once again apologize for how long it took me to get back to this story and I sincerely want to thank all of you who have waited for your patience with me and my writing. It means the world to me to see that an interest is still kept in this story after such a long gap in updates. Things have settled down on my end but I think I should let you guys know that I will be taking an online college class for the latter half of the summer (sometime around mid-July and into August). It should keep me busy but it shouldn't distract me too terribly from my writing.

In the meantime, I am going to update "Kids: Knight's Tale" once more before I bounce back to this story. After that I will continue to work on this throughout the rest of July but I'll also be working on "Vendetta" and drafting two new stories, but I'll make a note on that when the time comes. I hope to complete this story by summers end if not by the beginning of September.

Next time; Alt. END Chapter 4: Party Crashers and Dark Omens

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	9. Alt END Chapter 4: Party Crashers

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

I'm going to start this off with being honest with you all. I intended to work on this story back during my summer vacation and although I updated back in June, I put this story on the backburner because I was updating other stories, starting new projects, enjoying my time off and taking an online class for college credits.

I was kicking myself for putting this off as long as I did and I feel like an ass for making you all wait this long.

On the plus side I got a new job; same line of work but with better hours and pay.

I have since started my third year of college but things have been very calm at the moment. I haven't received any homework or assignments so that has allotted me some much needed time to get this chapter out to you guys. I apologize if this chapter seems rushed in some areas but I am a bit out practice with this story since I haven't worked on it in a few months. Still, I hope you all enjoy it none the less.

_**I also have an important announcement to make: there are only three to four more chapters left for this story! That's right, things will be drawing to a close soon as the final confrontation between Natsu and Zeref approaches. I will do my best to finish this story up by the beginning of October but don't expect me to slack off with these closing chapters; oh no, I'm going to work my damned hardest to make them as action packed as I can while giving this story a suitable ending. Count on it!**_

But for now, let's focus on the present.

So, last time we saw Natsu and Lucy had a much needed heart to heart that led to them making love for the first time; further strengthening their bond. But, not exactly sure of where he stood at the moment, Natsu informed Lucy that he would not be setting out to rebuild Fairy Tail. Encouraging Natsu to let her join him this time around, Lucy guided Natsu to Lamia Scale where the duo reunited with their old teammate; Wendy Marvel. However, as night fell, Lamia Scale found itself under attack by an unknown enemy as Natsu and Lucy went to aid in the city's defense…which is where our story continues as the former Fairy Tail mages display the fruits of their training over the past year.

And as usual, here is a shout out to you wonderful readers who left a review for the previous chapter (I was surprise by how many people enjoyed the last chapter to be honest!):

_**Johnny Spectre: **_Hello dude and welcome back, I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the previous chapter. Hoepfully what happens this time will meet your expectations.

_**IceMageNinjaTalia: **_Hello my friend from afar, how goes it? I'm glad you liked the last chapter and how Natsu can change forms. I have a lot of fun writing those sequences since it gives me a chance to really flex my creative muscles.

_**Sabrina-luna-potter: **_Hello! Oh, trust me, I've been reading the manga religiously for some time now so I have a very good idea as to what's going on. As for Gray and Juvia…well, I do have something in mind for them with them for this chapter.

_**Rose Tiger: **_Hello and welcome to the story, glad you are enjoying my attempts at writing Nalu!

_**LRCN: **_Hello! Your welcome for the update, here's another one. Thank you for reading my story.

_**Wolves silver wind: **_Hello and welcome to the story. Thank you for being so patient and understanding with this story, it means a lot. Yep, Natsu and Lucy did the do and poor END had go hide in the darkest parts of Natsu's mind to escape any future trauma. Yep, they are one in the same and will be so until the end. Your welcome and I hope your pack doesn't mind you breaking away for a bit to read this story.

_**Sailor Pandabear: **_Hello and welcome back, glad you enjoyed the previous chapter.

_**Fallout-boy97: **_Well, when I said "say whatever is on your mind" I certainly wasn't expecting that response. So ducks eh…QUACK! Lol. Also, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter.

_** amberlincoln3: **_Hello and welcome to the story. I take it that if you are asking for more of this story it means you are enjoying things?

_**AngelEmiCuti: **_Hello and welcome to the story! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying things thus far. I hope this update wasn't too late for you and that you enjoy this chapter the same as you have been with the others.

_**Coolgirl321 AKA Dazzling Bloom: **_Hello and welcome! Wow…I'm flattered to hear that you think my story is of such quality. Yeah, it usually takes some time to find a good story or too on this website but there are some really good authors out there if you look hard enough. I don't feel as if I'm one of them but thank you for thinking so regardless. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

_**HazelDragonNora: **_Hello and as always, welcome back! Wow, a very long response from you this time around. Yep, Natsu and Lucy had their still overdue heart to heart. I'm sure they'll get to it in the manga eventually but it will probably be at the worst possible time for it to happen. I'm glad you enjoyed the scene with Mira, a little comedy never hurt now did it? And Lucy is his girl…why wouldn't he be protective of her? Believe it or not, it takes me a long time to write out my chapters. I have it all planned out in my head it's just writing it all down that takes the most effort. As for END referencing the aforementioned "Pedobear" nemesis debacle…well, I'll leave that to your imagination. And as for END and Zeref's final confrontation…well, you'll see soon enough.

_**Zivyx: **_Hey dude welcome back! Uhm…yeah, Carla can change forms now in case you're not up to date with the manga…SPOILERS!

_**Guest: **_Hello and welcome I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. I can understand why people think Lucy is annoying but in all honesty, she's far from it in my opinion. She's shown a great deal of development since the manga started and I feel that many of the fans are really unfair to her simply because of a few personality quirks. As for END being pathetic, sorry to disappoint you but for this story, I'm trying to humanize him in a way; go against expectations if you could call it that and how we all assume END will act once he finally appears.

_**Whisper: **_Hello and welcome to the story. I'll be getting to the whole Natsu, Zeref brother thing in due time.

_**Animelover2509: **_Hello and welcome to the story! Glad you are enjoying it so far!

_**Stardust Dragon: **_Hello and welcome! Oh, trust me, I intend to see this story to the end and I'll work my damned hardest to do so.

_**Guest: **_Hello and welcome to the story, glad you are enjoying things so far.

_**GekonniaPL: **_Hello! Glad you like story, here have some more feels, I have plenty of them to give out! Thank you and have a wonderful day yourself!

And with that, our story continues.

XXXX

_**Arc 2: Alternate END…**_

XXXX

CHAPTER 4: Party Crashers and Dark Omens

XXXX

_**Margaret City…**_

The streets shook as the Lamia Scale guild hall was rocked by a series of tremendous explosions that sent debris in all directions.

This way and that, terrified men, women and children ran to avoid the ensuing calamity as another series of explosions cut through the once quiet peace of the city. And then, appearing seemingly out of nowhere or from the rubble of homes, shops and businesses, monsters emerged to the utter horror of those who witnesses their arrival.

They came in various shapes and sizes but shared a grotesque nature that left no mistaking what they were.

The monsters soon gave chase to the people they encountered, intent on killing them, or causing even more damage to the already shaken city. In turn, the mages of Lamia Scale worked to evacuate the citizens of their beloved home or commence battle with the creatures that had the nerve to strike at Lamia's territory.

One such group of mages were escorting a group of civilians when from within a nearby building, two monsters leapt out and pounced on the humans. Stunned by the sudden shower of debris, the mages were knocked aside as the two beasts swatted them with ease before turning their attention to the civilians.

One of the beasts lunged at a young girl who could only watch-paralyzed with fear-as the monster descended upon her.

"M-MAMA!" The girl screamed in terror as the beast swept its paw at her. She squeezed her eyes shut with another scream, bracing for the pain to come.

But it never did.

_**THWACK-CRUNCH!**_

The girl's eyes opened at the sound, just in time to see a man clad in blackened armor land in front of her, the pavement cracking beneath his feet while the monsters head lay buried in the ground; courtesy of a perfect downward roundhouse kick.

The man looked over his shoulder ensuring that girl was unharmed before giving her a curt nod and truing his attention to the other monster. The girl was then taken by the hand by a beautiful young woman with long, golden colored hair as she was guided back to her mother.

"C'mon sweetie," the woman said gently, "let's get you to your mommy. Natsu, the others are alright; I'm going to show them the way out of here!"

"Got it." Natsu replied, "As soon as we're done here we have to find Lyon and the others."

"Right!"

The second monster howled and charged Natsu only for the armored mage to summon his Scattergun and blast the things head off without so much as a flinch.

"Natsu!" Happy called out from above, "There's another one on the rooftop; look out!"

A roar from up high confirmed Happy's sighting and Natsu looked up just in time to a third monster launch itself at Natsu. With a flick of his wrist, the Scattergun changed to a bull whip made of fire to which Natsu quickly spun on his heel to face the monster. With a mighty "crack" Natsu snapped the whip out at the monster as the fire wrapped itself around its target. Natsu then then yanked the whip, causing the monster to careen with the nearby buildings before slamming it down to the ground.

With a sharp pull, Natsu pulled the whip from the monster and set the thing on fire in doing so; incinerating it in an instant.

"_**I believe what just transpired is what you humans call a "triple kill, if I'm not mistaken."**_ END mused from within Natsu's mind.

"Damn straight." Natsu smirked, his armored maw taking on a slightly menacing grin.

"Looks like we both know our way around a whip." Lucy said, drawing her own as she ran up to Natsu.

"Although, compared to me, you lack a certain finesse."

"I'm not going for style points Luce," Natsu replied, making Lucy giggle, "but I'd be happy to show you my _other _skills with it later if you'd like."

Lucy's cheeks turned a fierce shade of red if only for a moment before she shook her head of the images that had filled her mind.

"No time for joking Natsu," Lucy urged, "we need to find Lyon and Wendy."

"Right, sorry." Natsu added, before thinking, _"END, have you found 'em?"_

"_**Lyon is at the center of the city while I can sense Wendy, Chelia and the other cat moving towards them. Head down this street, make a right and don't stop; the city center will be dead ahead that way." **_

"Follow me Lucy," Natsu darted forward as Lucy and Happy followed, "Happy, you're our eye in the sky!"

"Aye sir!" Happy replied.

Together, Natsu and Lucy followed END's directions and made their way through the quickly growing ruins of the city. They encountered a series of monsters along the way but Natsu quickly dispatched them with ease while Lucy called out evacuation directions to the groups of civilians they happened upon.

Soon enough, they were at the city center.

"Look, there's Lyon!" Natsu announced as the Fairy Tail mages reached the ice mage who was calling out orders to both mage and civilian alike.

"Evacuate the city; get everyone to safety!" Lyon commanded, "Stick together, these things could be anywhere! And would someone please put out that fire; it'll take the whole neighborhood with it if we don't stop it!"

"Lyon!" Lucy called out, drawing said mages attention, "What's happening!?"

"Watch out!" Natsu shouted as a monster sprung from beneath the ground behind Lyon.

But the ice mage didn't even turn around as his hand snapped out and froze the beast in a solid block of ice. The ice crashed to the ground and Lyon gave a disgusted scoff before he shattered the ice with his boot.

"To answer your question Lucy, it should be fairly obvious; we're under attack from a group of monsters."

"Obviously," Natsu grunted, "but where the hell did these things come from?"

"And why are they attack the city?" Happy questioned.

"Natsu, Lucy, Lyon!" the voice of a young girl cried out. The aforementioned mages and cat turned to see Wendy and Chelia run up to them, still clad in their nightwear.

"I think we can explain why this is happening." Wendy said as she quickly looked around for other monsters.

"Lamia Scale has been locked in a feud with another guild for a number of years now." Wendy continued.

"They're called Orochi's Fin and they are seriously bad news. They're the only one's who'd pull a stunt like this."

"Another guild!?" Lucy gasped in alarm.

"_**Just our luck to be dragged into something like this as soon as we get back."**_ END grumbled in annoyance. He did not like the idea of being forced to deal with petty, human squabbles.

"Bastards." Natsu and Lyon hissed beneath their breath.

"To think they'd stoop so low as to attack us like this; unbelievable!" Chelia scoffed.

"With Jura at the Magic Council, I think it's safe to assume that Orochi's Fin thinks that we are powerless to stop them." Wendy added.

"And so they took advantage of our Thanksgiving festivities to launch an all-out attack." Carla said, now in her cat form.

"_**A surprise attack when their opponents are at quite the disadvantage."**_ END mused, _**"Clever bastards."**_

"What are we going to do?" Natsu said to himself, "More importantly, how many of these damn things are there!?"

As if to answer his question, Yuka and Toby made their entrance after making a run from the edge of town…and not with the best of news.

"Lyon!" Yuka called out, "These things are starting to overrun our defenses with more on the way!"

"Where are they coming from? How many?" Lyon asked as, his body tensing at the panic in Yuka's tone.

"They're coming from the west," Yuka said, "and Lyon, it's not just a couple of groups; it's a damn army!"

"There has to be at least a hundred thousand of them!" Toby added.

"A hundred thousand!" Lucy gasped in shock. She knew the town was under attack by a large contingent of monsters…but for hundreds of thousands of monsters to be attacking all at once was horrifyingly inconceivable.

"My god…if all of those things hit us at once, the city will be annihilated!" Lyon whispered before his face contorted in a fierce snarl.

"Damn you!" Lyon growled, "Damn you Orochi!"

"_**For so many to have been summoned in one place would warrant the presence of a summoner of some sort. These Orochi's Fin mages must have an especially adept one in their midst."**_ END said, while Natsu furrowed his brow.

He could hear the hundred thousand monsters charging the town, their bloodthirsty growls and roars reaching his sensitive hearing. And he could _feel_ another large group heading towards the group from down the street, their stomping vibrating the soles of his boots.

Ooba Babasaama's voice brought Natsu out of his thoughts as he let out a low sigh as he focused his magic back into his armor, adding another layer of protection to it.

"It appears Orochi has a summoner in their ranks." The aging mage mused, looking to Lyon who nodded in confirmation.

"If that's how all these monsters are getting here then we need to find a way to take him out." The ice mage said.

"…_**Okay, didn't I just say that?"**_ END asked, almost in offense, while Natsu snickered to himself, earning a curious glance from Lucy.

"_Just because you said it to me END, doesn't mean everyone else can hear you. You are stuck in my head after all."_

"_**I am keenly aware of that Natsu, but thank you for reminding me."**_ END said, the sarcasm practically dripping from his voice.

"We'll never get close enough." Yuka added to Lyon's statement, unaware of Natsu's internal conversation.

"With all those monsters in the way, we'd get ripped to shreds before we knew what hit us."

Lyon frowned in thought while Natsu tapped his finger in thought against his hip. And then an idea occurred to him.

"If not from the ground," he spoke up with a grin, "then what about from the air."

Natsu pointed upwards for emphasis.

"Just fly right over and hit 'em where it hurts."

He received a nod of affirmation from Wendy, "Yeah!"

"As crazy as it sounds, it just might work." Lyon gave a nod of his own, "Do you think you can pull it off?"

"Who said anything about me flying off?" Natsu replied, taking all present by surprise.

"I'm better off here on the ground where I can do so real damage. I may be able to fly but that doesn't make me a master of the sky."

Natsu looked to Wendy and Chelia, his eyes taking a comforting glow.

"However, we do have two "Sky Sisters" who I'm sure are more than up to the task."

Chelia gave Natsu a look of surprise while Wendy simply beamed at her quasi brother.

"Do you really mean that Natsu?" Wendy asked.

"Knock 'em dead." Natsu grinned, "Just watch your backs until I can catch up with you alright?"

"Yeah! C'mon Happy, give us hand!" Wendy smiled as a fierceness Natsu hadn't seen before flared up in her eyes. It made Natsu proud to see Wendy summon up such courage against rather daunting odds.

"Let's go Chelia!" Wendy said as Carla-now in her human form-scooped the wind mage up while Happy did the same for Chelia.

"Yeah; we'll save Lamia Scale together!" Wendy's fellow wind mage agreed as they guided the exceed up and over the town.

Natsu and Lucy watched as their compatriots flew off, the former giving a heavy sigh as he cracked his neck.

"She's really starting to come into her own isn't she?" Natsu asked Lucy as he cracked his neck, earning a smile from the spirit mage.

"I'm surprised you didn't just go charging in." Lucy replied, cracking her own neck in turn, "Either way, I'm really glad you have so much faith in Wendy. I know she won't let us down."

"As do I…besides, we have another group of monsters to deal with." Natsu said simply as he engulfed his hands in fire.

"Wait!? What!?" Lucy gapped just as said horrors made their entrance.

"Look alive Luce, here they come!" Natsu cackled as he bounded forward and charged the oncoming assault.

Natsu struck the first monster with a powerful gut punch that caused it to instantly burst into flames before kicking a second one with enough force that the creature's neck snapped from the impact. Natsu then performed a double, spinning backhand on a separate monster before inhaling all the air that he could manage into his lungs.

"Cursed!" Natsu growled, "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Natsu fired his signature spell and let forth a jet of molten fire that vaporized all that Natsu targeted, cutting down a swath of monsters in the process. Just as the flames died from his maw, a monster appeared behind Natsu in an attempt to launch a sneak attack on the former fire mage turned demon. Without so much as a glance over his shoulder, Natsu tapped his foot on the ground and fire a jet of fire from within the ground behind him.

The monster was summarily reduced to a smoldering pile of ash.

Natsu hummed to himself as he looked at the ash while summoning both of his Scattergun's.

"That didn't satisfy me at all." Natsu said, his voice detached before he pivoted on his heel and gunned down two monsters with his cursed firearms.

"_**They're summons Natsu."**_ END said as Natsu fired one gun over his shoulder while firing the other one at the hip.

"_**This is as tough as they'll get for you and me."**_

"_Where's the fun in that?"_ Natsu replied, _"Where's the challenge?"_

"_**Not everything has to be a challenge Natsu. I suggest you put those thoughts aside and focus on saving the people of this town."**_

"…Understood." Natsu grunted, trading his guns for his fire magic once more.

Not wanting to be left out and ready to get back into the fight, Lucy and mages' of Lamia Scale sprang into action.

Reaching to her belt, Lucy drew the key that held one of her most trusted and dearest friends.

"Open," Lucy said, "Gate of the Lion; Loke!"

"You rang princess?" Loke announced as he adjusted his sunglasses while giving his trademark, sly grin.

Lucy raised her key, the magical item glowing brightly with energy, as she casted another spell.

"Star dress; Leo Form!"

And in a flash of light, Lucy's appearance changed. Her outfit had been replaced by a beautiful, long and flowing black dress. It left her shoulders exposed, along with a long slit revealing her legs but her arms were covered by a pair of loose sleeves while a choker was wrapped around her neck. Her hair had been tied up into an elegant bun with a rose adorning the stylized tresses. A white sash was wrapped around her waist and finished off the ensemble.

After a moment, Loke's zodiac sigil appeared just above her right breast.

"No matter how many times I see you in this dress, you always manage to take my breath away." Loke said, fawning over Lucy in his usual fashion.

"It's just spirit magic, nothing special." Lucy smiled.

"Nothing special!?" Loke purred, "You look downright stunning!"

"Easy Loke, bring it back in." Lucy said, calming down her spirit's flirtatious nature.

Sensing the change in Lucy's magic, Natsu looked over his shoulder while keeping a monster in head lock and went slack jawed when his eyes focused on Lucy's change in attire. His maw unlocked…while snapping the monsters neck almost as an afterthought.

Noticing that she had attracted Natsu's attention, Lucy's cheeks flushed slightly at the open awe and adoration from the fire mage.

"It's…it's not too much is it?" Lucy questioned as she gave Natsu a quick little spin in her dress.

Natsu clotheslined a monster without taking his eyes off of Lucy.

"Lucy…you…you look beautiful." Natsu replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"Really?" Lucy nervously twirled a lock of hair around her index finger.

"Yeah…" Natsu's maw closed and formed a gentle smile, "you look really, _really_ good and-BEHIND YOU!"

Lucy immediately ducked down, low to the ground just as a monster took a swipe at her. Letting out an irritated huff, Lucy sprung back up and delivered a perfect roundhouse kick that sent the thing flying into a nearby building.

"Hey! Do you mind!?" Lucy barked, "We're having a moment here; back off!"

"_**Well now,"**_ END mused_**, "this is certainly a nice surprise. It seems Lucy's learned a few new tricks since you've been gone."**_

"Wow Luce!" Natsu exclaimed, "That was amazing! When did you get so strong!?"

Lucy chuckled and pulled a few stray bangs behind her ear.

"I told you I got stronger while you were away." Lucy replied, "Now's my chance to show you."

Natsu arched his brow and smirked, "Oh really now?"

Before any further conversation could continue, another set of monsters made their appearance and quickly surrounded the duo.

"Back to back!" Natsu and Lucy said in unison, grinning when they realized they had the same plan.

With their backs to each other, the monsters surged forward and were met by a flurry of fists and sharp kicks.

"Regulus Impact!" Lucy shouted as she delivered a precise, straight punch that sent a monster reeling.

Natsu had turned his hands into long, dagger like claws that shredded anything they came into contact with. He even managed to eviscerate two at the same time with a single swipe of his hand before spinning on his heel, Lucy mimicking the motion and intercepting another monster.

"Regulus Gatling Impact!" Lucy shouted as she delivered a flurry of punches that mimicked the sound of the aforementioned machine gun as she pummeled an unfortunate monster into the pavement.

Lucy, with the help of Natsu, vaulted over his shoulders and delivered an upper kick that sent another monster sky high. Natsu, without a word, tossed Lucy into the air and with a controlled spin, kicked the poor creature back down to earth. Lucy landed in Natsu's arms just as another group of monsters took the place of their fallen.

"Natsu," Lucy took Natsu's hands into hers, "spin me."

Natsu quickly looked to Lucy's hands and back to her before grinning a knowing grin.

"Hang on!" Natsu said as he formed to spikes from within the sole of his one boot and stomped his foot down, effectively pegging him in place and began to spin. The spike was just loose enough in the ground that it allowed Natsu free range of motion while holding him in place at the same time.

Faster and faster he spun like a top and Lucy held on with a white knuckled grip but kept her focus however. The monsters, which had paused slightly at the odd display the couple were demonstrating, quickly snapped back to reality and charged the two. When they were close enough, Lucy chose to strike.

"Regulus Gatling Kick!" Lucy shouted and swung her feet out and hit every monster her feet met. Natsu's continued spinning allowed Lucy to deliver a series of follow up kicks that were so fast that the monsters had yet to fully register they had been hit and were therefore kept in place. It was only on the fifth time however that Lucy's final set of strikes knocked the monsters down for the count.

Natsu stomped his free foot down and instantly ground himself to a halt, pulling Lucy close to him to prevent her from flying off with the sudden stoppage of motion.

"Toss me, one last time!" Lucy commanded and Natsu obeyed. Tossing her into the air as she had ordered, Natsu watched as the woman he loved cocked her fist back and aimed for the last cluster of monsters in the city square, the rest having been dealt with by the Lamia mages.

Lucy then _kicked_ the air and bolted forward and struck the ground with a tremendous strike that caused the street to crack and buckle as the creatures were taken down with it.

Lucy rose slowly, chest rising and nostrils flared as she quickly breathed in and out. When she moved, she stumbled back only to be caught by Natsu.

"You alright?" Natsu asked, cocking his head slightly.

"A…a little dizzy." Lucy panted, "But I'll be fine."

"That was amazing Lucy," Natsu smiled gently, "_you_…you truly are amazing."

Lucy opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Lyon.

"Natsu!" Lyon barked, "Lucy, we're needed at the edge of town. More of those monsters are on the way; hurry!"

"These things just keep coming." Natsu grunted before nodding his head at Lyon.

"You ready?"

"You know it." Lucy grinned and together, they caught up with the ice mage and followed him to the city outskirts.

"Look at them all!" Someone cried out as the trio of mages slid to a stop.

"Just how many of these damn things are there!?"

"Whoa." Natsu whispered, "They weren't kidding when they said it was an entire army."

Charging the small group of defenders was the remaining horde of monsters that had been summoned by Orochi's Fin. Whatever numbers they had lost during their initial strike, the remaining horde seemed undeterred by the strength of the mages. They knew they had the mages outnumbered and that it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.

Their destruction, their summoner had said, was ensured no matter how long and hard they fought.

"Good god," Lucy gasped, "look at them all!"

Lyon drew his lips in a firm line but kept his attention forward, "We're going to make out stand here."

"You here that everyone!?" Lyon called out to his fellow defenders, "If those bastards want to set one foot in our city, they're going to have to go through us first!"

Lyon received a series of battle cries from his fellow mages but Natsu, however, frowned deeply as he slowly looked at those assembled and then back to the rapidly approaching horde.

"_**There's too many of those things."**_ END spoke, _**"The others won't even last five minutes. Even if they do fight, most of the monsters will just bypass them and push into town…and kill anyone they can find."**_

"_But we can take them,"_ Natsu replied, _"you and me. We can mop the floor with those things."_

"_**As true as that may be, we'll only get bogged down in the process."**_ END countered.

"_**We'll be unable to hold the line against any who get through. If we were alone, that wouldn't be a problem. But…Lucy and the others aren't as strong as us; they don't have the power that we do. They'll be overwhelmed before we can get to them."**_

Natsu's frown deepened as his glowing eyes narrowed.

"_I wouldn't let that happen."_

"_**Natsu, even you have to realize that even though they are your friends; they are severely outclassed at the moment." **_

END paused as he made a soft, chitnous clicking as if in thought.

"_**And…as if we don't have enough problems as it is, Wendy and her friend are currently being overpowered by another mage. His power may seem low to us…but he's too great of a match for Wendy and Chelia."**_

Sure enough, Natsu felt a slight presence of magic at the back of his mind along with Wendy and Chelia's magic. Their magic was clearly being oppressed by someone or something who was far stronger than they were and if help didn't arrive soon, they'd be done for.

Natsu let out a deep, rumbling growl.

Wendy was a sister to him. And nobody-absolutely nobody-laid a hand on his little sister and got away with it.

"_What do we do?"_ Natsu hissed.

"…_**I think a little backup is in order."**_ END answered, his tone devious, _**"I think it's time we let out **_**The Enforcer's.**_**"**_

"_Are you sure about that? Seems a tad bit of overkill letting them out for something as small as this."_

"_**Need I remind you that overkill is a nonexistent concept to them?"**_ END hummed.

"_**We can kill two birds with one stone by doing so; the town and the others can be defended and you can be freed to go help Wendy and Chelia."**_

Natsu paused only for a minute before unclenching his fists, causing his knuckles to crack.

"Alright, let's do this." He said as he made his way past the assembled crowd and moved towards the oncoming horde.

"Natsu!? Natsu where the hell are you going!?" Lyon called out.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, "Natsu get back here; what are you doing!?"

"Raising hell!" Natsu answered over his shoulder just as he channeled his magic, causing his fingertips to become ignited with blue fire.

"Curse Magic!" Natsu flared out his fingers and raised his hands high above his head before slamming them down to the ground.

"Necromancy!"

The ground shook as Natsu channeled the dark magic's into the earth while a small shockwave was pushed out and away from Natsu. A sudden chill filled the air and ran down the spines of all who felt it while a strong breeze suddenly manifested with a sound akin to the whispering of voices; many voices, all that one time.

Natsu continued to focus his power and slowly removed his hands from the earth and raised arms before him, hands open and palms out flat. Slowly, a series of glyphs and sigils appeared around him, glowing dark shades of red, purple, green and blue. An intricate circle quickly formed beneath his feet as it emitted a slowly brightening glow.

"I call on you," Natsu said, his tone seemingly devoid of emotion, "my faithful warriors. Heed my call and awaken from you slumber to do battle in my name. To smite those who would stand to oppose me. To render flesh from bone and bask in the glory of your kills."

The ground began to shake as the whispering in the wind became louder and louder. The runes burned brighter and brighter.

"I summon you!" Natsu suddenly shouted, turning his hands into fists before smashing them together; his armored skin making a terrific "clang!"

"My Enforcer's!"

And for a moment, everything stilled. There was no wind, no sound; nothing.

Then, suddenly and bombastically, the ground around Natsu shattered and exploded outwards in geysers of rock and hellfire. The fire quickly subsided to reveal ten coffins, each of varying size, to be flanking Natsu on his left and right.

Some were wrapped in bandages-the remnants of burial shrouds-one or two were held together with heavy chains and the rest were nailed shut. And each coffin had a corresponding name, or to more precise, a number.

To Natsu's left were: Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro, Cinco.

To his right: Sies, Siete, Ocho, Nueve, Diez.

Then, the coffins began to rattle and shake as their occupants stirred to life and just as quickly as they had been summoned, the lids to the coffins were violently blasted off from their containers with seemingly minimal effort.

And from within the coffins, emerged their occupants; five males and five females.

Uno was tall and built with a sturdy frame. He wore a tattered, hooded cloak that trailed out behind him but hid his face. Beneath it, he wore a light but battle scarred suit of armor over a matching pair of black slacks, shirt and boots. Sheathed at his hips, ready to be drawn were a pair of falchion short swords while sheathed across his upper and lower back were a katana and broadsword.

Dos was the living-or rather-undead personification of a specter. He too wore a hooded cloak that was wrapped around his upper body seeing as how he floated midair upon an eerily green glowing mist. Eyes, as red as burning coals stared unblinking from beneath the hood while a pair of lanky and bony fingers slowly clenched and unclenched. Wrapped around his wrists were a pair of broken shackles that held two large spell books; their pages yellowed and binding and covers tattered. The chains matched the ones that were wrapped around Dos's waist (what was left of it).

Tres was a living skeleton dressed as an old, gunslinger as evident by the bullet riddled clothing he wore. He wore a cowboy had that sported a series of burn marks on it along with a fading and tattered oilskin duster over an armored vest with ammunition bandolier, slacks and a pair of high top boots. Clenched between Tres's teeth was a perpetually burning cigarette that the undead gunslinger calmly inhaled but never exhaled. His eye sockets were filled with a glowing blue fire, thus serving as his eyes.

In his hands, he wielded two large, rectangular shaped guns whose barrels almost brushed the ground he stood on. They had contoured grips, octagon shaped barrels set in an over-under configuration, lever action trigger guards and sharpened blades set in line with the forearms and lower barrels. Tres suddenly "flip-cocked" the guns and their arrangement changed to that of swords before he cocked them again, returning them to their original forms.

Gun Swords…that's what they were.

Cuatro at first appeared to be nothing more than a black, living shadow that simply stayed in its place. Then it sprung to life and sank into the ground and emerged a moment latter in an amalgamation of rock that slowly molded itself into a head, arms and torso atop a socket that held a large, perfectly rounded boulder in place; all connected together by the shadow. The Rock Golem grunted and flexed its trunk like fingers, causing smaller rocks to levitate around him in a small orbit while to narrow slits carved themselves into his "face" and thus served as his eyes.

And then there was Cinco. A demon made purely of electricity, it's only human quality being that it maintained the shape of a man despite the spastic twitching of his body. Static popped and crackled in the air around him while small arcs of electricity wove their way in and out of his body. His glowing yellow eyes blinked rapidly, paused, and then blinked again before his body jerked and twitched.

The women of the group also varied in appearance.

Seis was a beautiful, if not stunning woman who had long and flowing aquamarine colored hair. Her glowing, golden colored eyes possessed, snake like slits for pupils while a series of scales glittered around her eyes and the hollowed base of her throat. An armored, but form fitting, breastplate covered her generous bust with other pieces of armor covering her shoulders and forearms. But that was where any human similarities ended as from her naval down, resided the body and tail of snake. Her scales were blue and the underbelly was covered by grey armored scales. A surprisingly long tongue slipped passed her lips and licked them quickly along with her sharpened canines. In her right hand she wielded a bow and strapped across her back was a quiver loaded with arrows.

Siete was a tall woman, dressed in the warrior outfit of a long dead tribal clan. Everything about her was exotic from her fiery orange hair-tied into an elegant knot-the dark tan of her skin and white tattoo's that wrapped around her limbs and exposed skin. Wrapped around her eyes was a black and blue cloth, while a similar wrap was wrapped around her chest. An orange and black sarong stopped just shy of her knees and only a pair of laced up sandals adorned her feet. In her one hand, she gripped an ornately decorated, double bladed spear with fearsome obsidian colored blades that gleamed in the moonlight.

Ocho's appearance was by far the most scandalous as she wore something akin to a dominatrix outfit; an odd mixture of black silk and leather. Gloved, elbow length sleeves covered her arms, a revealing corset hugged her body and a pair of high heeled, laced up boots completed her outfit. She had jet black hair that was cropped short and sinister, glowing black and red eyes. Her purple colored lips pulled back in a dangerously seductive and menacing grin. With a flick of her wrist, a whip made of fire appeared in her hand to which she pulled it taught with an audible "SNAP!"

Nueve was a young girl of nine or ten years of age with vibrant black and gold colored eyes. She had long, amber colored hair that reached the middle of her back and was barefoot aside from the simple white sundress she wore. She yawned in a manner that could have been considered cute were it not for the fact that beside her was a double bladed battle axe that was twice her weight and size. But, with surprising ease, the girl lifted it up off the ground and laid it across her shoulders. She then glanced over to Cuatro and gave the golem a bright bubbly smile and exuberant wave of her hand to which the rock demon wiggled its fingers back at her.

Finally, as the last of The Enforcer's, was Diez. Like her fellow sisters, she was a beautiful woman with auburn colored hair that was tied back into a long, elegant braid and piercing black and green eyes. A metallic band was wrapped around her forehead while a series of simple piercings lined her ears. She wore a priestess garb that consisted of a black, loose sleeveless top that was tied around her waist via a red sash. The top was opened in a "V" style and exposed her naval, torso and cleavage while the sash held up a long and flowing skirt that stopped just above her knees and trailed the rest of the way behind her. A pair of sleeves ran from her elbows to the tips of her fingers; fingers that held a simple staff with gold bands wrapped around it. The rest of her appearance consisted of bandages wrapped around her feet and knees while various tattoos of runes and the language of a forgotten people dotted the exposed flesh of her arms, torso and legs.

With their ranks assembled, the Enforcer's turned to Natsu and bowed their heads as the dragon slayer rose from his crouch.

"What is your command Lord END?" Uno asked, his voice deep and firm.

"You see those things?" Natsu asked as he pointed to the still approaching horde of monsters, "There's a hundred thousand of those things heading for that town and they're set on killing anyone in it. I want you all to make sure not a single one of those things sets one foot beyond this point."

"Finally some action," Tres cracked his neck-his voice possessing a twang to it, "my trigger fingers have been getting itchy something fierce."

"Defend a city full of humans my lord?" Seis questioned, "Surely you jest?"

"I'm serious…and don't call me Shirley." Natsu added pointedly to which the Enforcers let out one form or another of a resentful sigh.

"Look, I know you guys aren't very fond of humans but I need you all to do this for me." Natsu insisted.

"As if we have the option to refuse." Grumbled Ocho who drew her whip taught again, "Fine…might as well get a few more kills under my belt."

"YAY!" Nueve squealed in glee, her once bubbly smile now taking a sadistic twist, "This is going to be fun, fun, fun!"

"We will hold the line my lord." Uno said, drawing his falchions, "But…if I may ask; where will you be?"

"I have a friend that needs help and I have to get to her before something happens to her."

Natsu then looked back to his fellow mages who stood slack jawed at the appearance of Natsu's summons.

"Don't worry everyone," Natsu called back, "these guys have things covered! I'm going after Wendy and Chelia so I'll be back in a flash!"

Natsu paused before his maw frowned slightly.

"Word of advice," Natsu called back as he took a runners crouch, "do not, under any circumstances, interrupt these guys. They're not…not "fond" of people."

And with that, Natsu bolted off in the direction that he had seen Wendy and Chelia fly off, barreling through the horde of monsters and anything else that got in his way as he did so.

"…Lucy?" Lyon asked as he looked to the stunned spirit mage.

"Yeah?" Lucy replied, slightly dazed.

"Are you ever going to tell us what happened to Natsu?" The ice mage questioned as he watched the Enforcer's form a defensive line.

"I…I…to be honest Lyon," Lucy said, "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

The Enforcer's however, paid no heed to the humans they were charged with protecting; instead focusing on the creatures their lord had ordered them to summarily destroy.

"You heard lord END," Uno announced, "not one of those abominations is to set one foot in that city. In the event that one of our prey is to slip past us-"

"However unlikely." Tres added under his breath.

"-I want both Dos and Diez casting a barrier around the town and channeling the freaks towards the rest of us."

"Understood." Dos said, his voice a croaking, cracking and hoarse whisper.

"Yes Uno." Diez nodded her head stepped back a few paces along with Dos.

Dos raised both his hands forward, palms out as he books opened on their own to his desired pages. Diez gently planted her staff into the ground, closed her eyes, and began to chant in a forgotten tongue while runes and script across her body began to glow.

The air behind them became distorted, as if one were to look through a pane of slowly fogging glass. The barrier had no begging, end, shape or form. It was simply an existence that could not be explained with words.

The ground began to tremble as the horde drew closer and closer, having recovered from Natsu's mad dash of a rampage.

"Bet'cha I get more kills than you." Ocho challenged Tres as she liked her lips in excitement.

"You're on." Tres replied, his skull seemingly grinning in response to Ocho's challenge and anticipation of the fight.

Siete for her part, merely smirked at the antics of her fellow summons while Nueve performed her version of a happy dance.

When the monsters drew close enough, the Enforcer's chose to strike.

Dos's magic sprang to life as a series of large, blackened trees sprung to life from beneath the ground, creating an impenetrable corridor that funneled the monsters towards the summons. Those that tried to scale the trees were summarily ripped apart as their branches came to life and wreaked havoc on those who got too close.

Uno was the first to strike as he slashed he charged forward and glided into his targets with an ease and skill that would have been considered mesmerizing had it not been for the visceral carnage his falchions inflicted at such close range.

Tres leveled his guns and jammed his fingers down on the triggers, the double barreled guns cutting down their targets with the ferocity of a machine gun.

"How does thirteen millimeters of copper taste eh?" Tres cackled as one monster got too close for comfort. Tres simply ducked down, flip cocked the gun in his right hand and felled the beast with his gun sword before switching it back and gunning down another three.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ocho taunted as her whip incinerated all it touched.

She raised said weapon above her head, spinning it in a circular motion before snapping it down and releasing the twister of fire she had created. The vortex sucked up all in its path and reduced said victims to ash before it dissipated. As a coup de grace, Ocho leapt up to one of her victims that had survived, catching its ogre like head between her legs and snapped its neck with her thighs.

Ocho rose and stuck her tongue out at Tres.

"Show off." Tres grumbled while gunning down a set of demons without even looking.

"Oh you know you love me." Ocho cackled as a spear soared overhead and nailed a monster in its chest a few hundred yards away.

She looked back to see Siete in the process of following through with her throw and then disappearing in the blink of an eye, only to reappear with her spear a half a second later. Kicking off the monster and pulling her spear free, Siete was a whirlwind of movement as she cut down all around her with a series of arcs and swings of her spear. She back flipped then, just in time to avoid Cuatro as he came charging through the ranks of monsters. Like a steamroller with a turbocharged engine, the rock golem flattened all who were in his way while his magic manipulated the earth beneath him causing chasms filled with spikes to open or projectiles of stone to be hurled forth from the ground.

But he was not alone in his rampage. On his back rode Nueve as she cut down anything Cuatro had missed with her axe, giddily smiling like the little psychopath she was.

Seis had struck down a number of monsters already with her arrows but found many of them to still be surging forward. Fed up with her lack of progress with her standard attacks, Seis fired a single arrow into the air. As it completed its upward arc, the projectile suddenly split apart into a hundred different arrows and rained down upon the hapless monsters below.

She smirked, now satisfied with her results.

Diez was still performing her chant, maintaining the strength of the barrier, when a monster ran up to her and lashed out. But she did not move for just as the monster struck, there was a crack of thunder and the distinct, pungent scent of burning ozone. Fried to a crisp, the creature fell where it stood as Cinco rebounded out of the ground.

Diez gave him a soft smile and with a twitchy nod, the lightening demon zapped away in a zig zag pattern, frying all he met as he leapt from one body to the next.

Uno had switched to his katana by then and easily felled those in his path. He then performed a double back flip away from a cluster of monsters and tossed his katana into the air, only for a dozen more to appear along with it. He casted his arm forward and the swords flew forth with the unspoken command, slicing the cluster down to size before they knew what hit them.

Retrieving his sword, Uno cupped his hand to his face.

"Dos!" He called, "Level them out for me!"

With his one book, Dos selected a different spell apart from the one he had already summoned and performed a quick sessions of hand gestures.

While Uno held his stance, the ground before him sank down and then quickly snapped up, immobilizing the monsters before him as they landed flat on their backs with surprised cries. Uno quickly drew his broadsword, charged his magic into the blade and then impaled it into the earth. Then, variable clusters of sword blades sprung from the ground and impaled the fallen monsters in turn.

As Uno withdrew his blade, Seis and Tres appeared next to him.

"This is too easy." Tres sighed, "I'm not even warmed up yet."

"I must admit, I find our opponents to be…lacking, in a way." Seis added with a dissatisfied grimace.

"We have our orders." Uno responded tacitly, "Keep pushing forward. It won't be long now."

And with those words, the summoned demons continued with their rampage.

XXXX

By the time Natsu had caught up to where Wendy and Chelia had made their landfall, he found plenty of evidence of their fight from knocked out dark mages to windswept and battered ground.

"Those girls sure are something when they're together." Natsu mused with sense of pride.

Wendy had definitely come a long way since he'd first met her. She was breaking out of her shy, awkward and mousy self of the past and becoming a confident and powerful young woman. Natsu had every reason to be proud of his quasi-little sister.

Natsu soon came to a crater and felt a tingling sensation crawl over his skin. It was a powerful magic, one that he thought he had felt before but couldn't place.

"_**Gravitational Force."**_ END said, sensing Natsu's thoughts, _**"You're pushed down into submission or death. Had we been anything else, I'm more than certain we'd not be setting foot within this crater."**_

"Yikes." Natsu mused, "Good thing I have you for this sort of thing."

As Natsu slid down the edge of the crater, the gravitational force became stronger but still had little to no effect on Natsu who quickly learned to ignore the pins and needles sensation that was ghosting over his senses.

"HNGH!" Natsu heard Carla suddenly groan in pain as the force of the gravity was increased.

Looking amongst the dust, Natsu spotted Carla, Wendy, Happy and Chelia pinned down both under rock and whatever was casting the gravity.

"AGH!" Wendy cried out, "I…I CAN'T MOVE!"

"Not good." Natsu grunted and bolted over to the pinned down girls. The two mages and their fellow cats gawked at Natsu's sudden appearance as he reached down and hefted the sky sisters up off the ground and onto their feet.

"You girls alright?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu!" Wendy cried out with a relieved smile along with Happy and Carla. Chelia for her part could only stare in amazement at Natsu's resistance to Bluenote Stinger's magic.

Said dark mage could stare only in disbelief as Natsu swept the dust off of Wendy and Chelia's shoulders.

"You two alright?" Natsu questioned, "You're not hurt are you?"

"No," Wendy replied, "we're fine, thanks to you."

"Who did this?" Natsu asked to which Wendy and Chelia both pointed over his shoulder to the opposite end of the crater.

"He did." Chelia snarled.

"It's Bluenote Stinger Natsu," Wendy glared at the dark mage, "he's the one who hurt you and Cana back on Tenrou Island eight years ago."

Natsu turned and faced Fairy Tail's one time adversary and slowly studied the man. He had a very long pony tail and odd, cat like face.

Natsu blinked slowly once…twice…and then shrugged his shoulders.

"Never seen him before." Natsu said simply to which Wendy, Happy, and Carla promptly gawked at Natsu in surprise and disbelief.

"You what!?" Happy cried.

The sound END face palming resonated throughout Natsu's mind as the demon let out a muffled, pained groan.

"_**Are you kidding me!?" **_END called out, _**"Do I have to go through hodgepodge that is your head to make you remember!? Because brother, let me tell you something; YOU'VE MET THIS GUY BEFORE!" **_

"_Are you sure?"_ Natsu questioned, still not believing that he'd met this Bluenote guy before in the past. Because he thought he'd remember the guy if he had been on Tenrou Island fighting Fairy Tail all that time ago.

"_I think you're just messing with me."_

END promptly let out a frustrated growl, followed by a series of sputtering noises of bafflement.

"_**YOU ARE SO IMPOSSIBLE SOMETIMES THAT IT'S UNREAL!"**_ END raged, _**"YOU ARE SO DENSE THAT IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY!"**_

Bluenote, brought out of his surprised stupor, promptly leapt down from his perch and charged Natsu as he sent a gravity attack his way. He didn't know who the man in black armor was, but he was powerful. Impossibly so.

Bluenote knew that anyone who was powerful to resist his magic was a dangerous enemy that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. And therefore, he could not allow this interloper to live.

"GET CRUSHED!" Bluenote raged as he forced his gravity unto Natsu and the others.

"AGH!" Wendy and the others cried out in pain as they were knocked back down while Natsu's body trembled from the force of the attack. Seeing Wendy, Chelia, Happy and Carla get knocked back down was the final straw for Natsu.

"Hey buddy!" Natsu shouted as his eyes fiercely glowed green. Cracks formed in his armor at the edges of his eyes while his maw snapped open.

"Piss off!" Natsu barked as he fired his optical laser, causing a small shockwave of air to burst out before his eyes.

The concentrated beam of energy engulfed Bluenote, causing all who witnessed it to gasp in shock or try to attach their jaws back to their skulls.

When the laser subsided, Bluenote remained standing. The laser hadn't killed him, as Natsu had only fired that attack at low power…but it was powerful enough to make Bluenote resemble a burnt out matchstick. With a soundless gasp and a look of absolute shock on his face, Bluenote promptly keeled over.

"_He…he…with one shot…"_ Carla thought in disbelief with a slight tinge of fear.

Wendy was in an equal state of shock, _"Natsu…how? How did you become this powerful!?"_

Swallowing hard, Wendy managed to find her voice.

"N-Natsu?" She asked to which Natsu turned around with a soft smile on his maw.

"What…what was that attack just now?"

"Oh, that?" Natsu replied as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, "I like to call that "Ma freakin' lazer!"

Natsu grinned his usual grin….which seemed slightly terrifying when he was in his etherious form.

"Works every time!"

Wendy could only nod while sweating bullets, "R-Right…s-so I see."

Wiping his hands of dust before placing them on his hips, Natsu looked around in an expectant manner and found the majority of Orochi's Fin standing before him.

"So," Natsu asked with a menacing grin, "whose next?"

In unison, the dark mages raised their hands into the air with nervous smiles and sweat running down their faces. One of the dark mages, a man with a snake like tongue, produced a quickly put together white flag and waved it meekly in surrender.

"W-We surrender."

XXXX

"_**Well, that solves that."**_ END said to Natsu as he and the others made their way back to Margaret City.

"_**All in all I think that went rather well."**_

"_If you say so,"_ Natsu thought back as he laced his hands behind his head, _"man, I didn't even get a change to warm up."_

Natsu had transformed back into his human form seeing as how his etherious form was no longer required. The Orochi mages weren't going anywhere anytime soon seeing as how it would be up to Lamia to punish those who threatened destroy their beloved city and guild.

"_**Says the man who plowed through an entire horde of demons and nearly vaporized a single mage."**_

"_Ah, that guy was annoying; he had it coming."_

"_**You could have just knocked him out."**_

"_Where's the fun in that? Besides, I like "firin' mah lazer"; I'd do it more often if I could."_

"_**And for that I am eternally grateful."**_ END said under his breath.

The sun was starting to rise as dawn broke on a new day. Plenty of destruction had been left in the wake of Orcohi's attack and it was apparent that it would be some time before repairs were completed. But, no one was seriously injured; shaken, but not injured.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Natsu said as he walked over a slight rise, "The Enforcers carried out my orders to the letter."

The girls promptly let out a startled gasp when they saw. There were no bodies as it was apparent that they had been cleaned up by someone or rather something, but there were veritable streams and pools of blood that marked where many of the monsters had fallen. Careful as to where they treaded while navigating the blood, the group soon found the mages and the Enforcer's right where Natsu had left him.

The Lamia mages were gathered around, talking amongst themselves while occasionally casting a nervous glance at the demonic summons.

The Enforcers were in their only little group with Seis having draped her arms over Uno's shoulders and whispering something into his ear while the swordsman kept his one arm around her waist.

Cuatro had his one arm extended out at the side and let Nueve dangle from it as she dangled from the limb and used it as an impromptu swing.

Siete had hear spear planted into the ground and leaned against it while Diez sat next to her, silently running her fingers over the grooves in her staff.

Dos for his part was reading from one of his spell books while drinking from a steaming cup of tea that had somehow been produced from nowhere. Cinco was in a similar position although had relegated himself to chugging down a bottomless energy drink. He'd pause, twitch one, spark twice and then resume chugging down his beverage.

Meanwhile, Ocho and Tres stood facing one another in what appeared to be a heated argument…of sorts.

"For the last time," Ocho hissed, "I'm the one who got more kills this time!"

"Woman, need I remind you that I was the one who not only watched you back but wasted anything that I amied my guns at!" Tres snapped back.

"I never said I needed your help, in fact, I'm sure the only reason you stayed close to me was to steal my kills!"

"HA!" Tres cackled, "As if I'd need to do that, you'd just let half of 'em slip away anyways!"

"Oh, you have some nerve!"

Cuatro and Nueve had been watching the whole exchange, since Tres and Ocho stood right before them, and their heads moved from left to right with each retort from their comrades. Giving what could be interpreted as an annoyed sigh, Cuatro picked Nueve's axe up off the ground, turned it flat on its side and promptly smacked it down atop Ocho's head.

"ACK!" Ocho cried as she clutched her head, writhing on the ground.

Tres's snickering was promptly silenced when Cuatro did the same to him; send the gunslinger down and flat on his back. It was Nueve's turn to promptly burst out into a giggle fit while Uno palmed his face and shook his head.

"I'm surrounded by idiots." He grumbled.

And at the center of it all, feeling very out of place, was Lucy.

She had been taken by the hand over to the group by Nueve and had been there ever since the fighting had ended. She had gone unnoticed for the most part and it seemed only now, after Tres and Ocho's brief bout of idiocy that the Enforcer's took notice of her.

"_Oh dear God, these guys are crazy!" _Lucy thought in panic and did her best to keep her cool under the scrutiny of the demons.

"So…" Ocho began, "this is the woman who's captured our master's heart."

The demon arched her brown, slowly walking around Lucy and pursing her lips in thought.

"Hmmm…" She hummed, "I guess I can see why."

"That's all you have to say?" Tres questioned, "This is the human the boss wouldn't shut up about for an entire year and that's all you have to say!?"

"Now, now," Seis chided as she slowly slithered on over to Lucy, "be nice. After all, it's not every day we get to meet someone who has managed to temper our master."

Her snake like body gently coiled around Lucy, making her squirm, and the archer brought herself a little too close for comfort and whispered into Lucy's ear.

"I'd very much like to know how you did that." She hissed with a devious, leering smirk.

Lucy gave an involuntary shiver and Seis chuckled, letting her go but still fixing Lucy with her leering eyes.

"I do sense that you two have made love and have become one in both body and soul." Seis said, making Lucy blush a fierce shade of scarlet.

"W-When you put it like that…" Lucy stammered.

"Relax blondie, she's just messing with you." Cinco said, his voice surprisingly composed but possessing a static like distortion to it.

"But don't let her get too close…especially if you're alone." Cinco added to which Lucy blanched and Sis liked her lips in a rather seductive manner.

"And that's as close as you'll get." Natsu announced as he walked passed his summons, who instantly bowed at his appearance, and walked up to Lucy.

"Don't worry Luce, they won't harm you. They're just…creepy like that."

"Aw," Tres said as he feigned offense, "you wound me my lord."

"The situation was contained lord END." Uno addressed Natsu who gave him a curt nod, "None of our prey escaped with their lives."

"So I see…excellent work everyone, I appreciate the help you guys." Natsu said as he snapped his fingers and one by one, The Enforcers disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"If you need us, you need only call." Uno replied…and then he was gone.

"…They're certainly an interesting bunch." Lucy said after a slight pause, "Are they always like that?"

"Most of the time. But, I did get to know them over the year I was gone. They, along with END, helped train and get me back up to full strength."

"They trained you?" Lucy questioned in surprise.

"Well…to be honest they tried to kill me-and succeeded once or twice-but it worked none the less."

"…Am I better off not knowing what some of that training entailed?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah." Natsu replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Together, they joined up with the Lamia mages who were busy discussing plans of repair and the handling of the Orochi mages.

"We're in your debt," Lyon smiled shaking Natsu and Lucy's hands, "you really came through for us today and we're forever grateful to you two for helping defend our home."

"Just doing what we do best." Natsu beamed before nodding to Wendy and Chelia.

"But Luce and I don't deserve all the credit, these little ladies did some heavy lifting of their own. They deserve as much praise as we do."

"You two do us proud," Ooba Babasaama added, "you girls worked hard to defend your home and your friends. The both of you are on your way to becoming exceptional mages."

Wendy blushed, still not used to receiving such praise for her actions to which Chelia giggled and Natsu ruffled her hair.

"So what happens now?" Lucy asked.

"We start rebuilding and carry on as we usually would. I think it goes without saying that Orochi's Fin won't be giving us any problems from now on." Lyon answered.

"Speaking of which, what's going to happen to those guys?" Natsu questioned.

"We'll round them up and hold them until they can be taken in by the magic council. If you stick around long enough, you might be able to get some information on Gajeel and Levy." Lyon said.

"Those two are with the magic council?" Natsu asked, looking to Lucy for confirmation.

"Yeah, Gajeel's already reached the rank of Captain and Levy's one of his assistants. They've been making quite a name for themselves over the past year and they're one of the council's most valued teams."

"To be honest, I'm not all the surprised to hear that." Natsu responded, "I figured Gajeel would want to try and find something that would let him be in charge. And Levy, she'd probably enjoy getting her hands on all those books the council has stashed away somewhere."

Natsu paused then as a thought occurred to him.

"Speaking of our friends, we still need to check on Gray and Juvia."

"That's right, I completely forgot about all of that with all the fighting going on." Lucy added as she ran her hand through her hair.

"If you two could do that, I'd appreciate it." Lyon said with a slight frown, "I know Gray and he'd never go this long without letting someone know if something was up. I mean…I'm sure he and Juvia are alright…but I worry none the less."

"Don't worry Lyon," Lucy gave a reassuring smile, "we'll drop on by and then head back here."

"Knowing ice for brains he probably forgot to send a letter back to you guys and got Juvia involved in the whole damn mess." Natsu added to which Lucy slapped him up the head.

"Whatever the reason, I'm sure those two will be glad to see you." Yuka added.

"Yeah, maybe I can even challenge Gray to a fight; see how long he can last against me." Natsu grinned while Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Natsu?" Wendy spoke up, "Lucy?"

The two mages looked to the young dragon slayer as she nervously wrung her hands together.

"Would…would it be alright if I went with you two to see Gray and Juvia? I mean, it's not that I don't want to be here at Lamia Scale with my friends, they've all been so nice and accepting of me…it's…just that, it's been so long since I've seen anyone from Fairy Tail. With how busy I've been and with everyone being scattered all over the country, it hasn't been easy trying to contact anyone."

Wendy bit her lip and looked to the ground.

"And…I've missed you two the most…and I want to be with you guys before you move onto another town."

Natsu and Lucy smiled gently, knelt down and pulled Wendy into a gentle hug.

"Do you even need to ask?" Natsu murmured gently.

"Wendy, you are more than welcome to join us." Lucy added, "It must've really been hard for you to not see any of your Fairy Tail family this past year. Wendy, you will always be welcomed by us no matter what."

Wendy sniffled as she buried her face into Natsu and Lucy's shoulders.

"Look…we may not be getting everyone back together just yet. But when the time is right, we're going to rebuild Fairy Tail. Just not immediately. However, after we've visited Gray and Juvia, Lucy and I will stay here an extra couple of days and spend some time with you. Does that sound alright?" Natsu said as Wendy pulled her head back, wiping away her tears.

She nodded and swallowed hard, "Y-Yes…I'd like that very much."

"Good." Natsu smiled, "You best get your things packed then, because Lucy and I were planning on heading out later this afternoon. We don't want to be arriving late to Gray and Juvia's place now do we?"

"Right!" Wendy beamed and ran off back to the apartment she shared with Chelia.

"Hey Lucy?" Happy asked as he tapped Lucy on the knee, "Did Lyon say where Gray and Juvia are living?"

Lucy tapped her chin in thought for a moment, "Hmmm….oh, I remember now. It's a small little town to the west of here called Rainfall Village."

"Rainfall?" Happy asked, perplexed.

"Apparently every now and then there's a seemingly endless rainstorm that lasts only for a day or two before it stops." Lucy replied to which Natsu sighed.

"Yep, we'll definitely be heading to right place." Natsu said, referring to Juvia's infamous mood swings that always managed to bring about the rain.

"I just hope she's in a good mood by the time we get there. I'd hate to get drenched upon arrival." Lucy added to which Natsu chuckled.

XXXX

_**Two Days Later…**_

"Well, there it is," Lucy extended her finger outwards, "Rainfall Village."

It had taken the group two days but after navigating the mountains that surrounded Margaret City, the former mages of Fairy Tail arrived at their destination.

"Doesn't seem like much." Happy said, squinting his eyes as he focused on the town.

"In fact I don't see anyone moving around down there."

"The town doesn't seem to be in the best of shape." Wendy added, her enhanced dragon senses aided her eyesight for seeing into the distance.

"In fact, it looks abandoned…I've got a weird feeling about this town."

"Yeah, I can't sense anyone else from here either." Lucy said.

"Well, if Gray and Juvia needed to train at a place that didn't attract a lot of attention, this would be the spot." Natsu added.

"I mean, if they break something it's not like anyone is going to mind."

"Still counts as property damage Natsu." Lucy added, her tone matter of fact.

"Never stopped me." Natsu grinned before continuing down into the town, the others following close behind. Natsu then cupped his hands to his mouth.

"Yo ice bastard, where the hell are you!?" Natsu called out, "C'mon Gray, get your pale ass out here and fight me!"

"Gray," Lucy called out, "Juvia; it's Natsu, Wendy and Lucy!"

"We've come to visit you!" Wendy called out as well.

Silence was their answer.

"Do you think they heard us?" Wendy asked.

"Maybe they're not home?" Happy said with Carla nodding in agreement.

Wendy sniffed the air a few times before her brow furrowed.

"I can smell Gray and Juvia's scents but…they're faint for some reason. As if something has diluted their essence. Perhaps the Juvia's rain had something to do with it."

"No…" Natsu said, frowning as he took a few quick sniffs of the air, "I am smelling Gray and Juvia, their scent is all over the place. But they haven't been here for some time."

"What the heck is going on here?" Lucy said, just a short gust of wind blew through the town…and Natsu froze in his tracks.

"Natsu?" Lucy questioned, "What's wrong?"

Natsu slowly and cautiously looked at the surrounding buildings. His jaw was tense and he was clenching and unclenching his right hand. The breeze had caused a chill to run up his arm and with it, he sensed something that shouldn't have been in this town. It had been subtle at first but now he felt it as his senses came to life.

Dark Magic.

There were traces of dark magic in this town.

"Something's wrong." Natsu grunted as he followed the magic, his right arm tugging him along as if by its own volition. His demon mark had come to life in response to the presence of the dark energy and immediately honed in on the source.

The magic ended at the end of the main street where a small house resided. The magic was concentrated the most here and it practically radiated off the building. Gray and Juvia's scents were also more prevalent here.

"I think we just found Gray and Juvia's house." Natsu said, "But…nobody's home."

Natsu wrapped the door with his knuckles…and it slowly creaked open in response. Natsu took an involuntary step back while the others eyed the house warily.

"I…I…there's something wrong with this house." Wendy said, shaking slightly, "I feel…cold…and the air…the scent is...off."

"Natsu?" Lucy asked to which Natsu stepped forward and pushed the door open further, fully entering the house.

As expected, it was empty. A fine coating of dust covered all the surfaces confirming Natsu's previous statement that Gray and Juvia had not been in the home for an extended amount of time. Lucy swiped her finger along the kitchen table and rubbed the dust between her thumb and index finger, frowning deeply as she did so.

"Where are they?" She asked.

"Do you think something happened to them?" Wendy asked, the worry evident in her voice.

"Yeah," Natsu said, rubbing his arm, "but it's not what you're thinking. There's no signs of a struggle so that rules out an attack and it looks like some cleaning was done before they left."

Carla wandered over to a nearby bed and took a cursory search of it. When she looked under it, her mouth formed in an "O" of surprise.

"I found something!" Carla said, scurrying under the bed, only to return a second later with a book in her paws. She handed it to Lucy who began to flip through it.

"This…" Lucy said, "This is Juvia's diary."

"What's it doing under the bed?" Wendy asked to which Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

"It was probably the only place Juvia could put it. There isn't a lot of room in this house to begin with."

Lucy flipped a few more pages and bit her lip in thought.

"Okay…the diary confirms that Gray and Juvia have been living here. They came to this village around the time Fairy Tail disbanded in order to train. And for a time, things went well for the two of them…according to Juvia they "shared meals together," "trained together," "went on jobs together", and…"

It was then that Lucy choked on her words as she choked on her words, her cheeks quickly becoming heated. Wendy, who had been reading over Lucy's shoulder, turned a vibrant shade or red-as if she had eaten the hottest pepper imaginable-and Natsu simply balked at what he read.

"Oh…oh my…" Wendy stammered as she hid her eyes behind her hands.

"I knew Juvia was flexible but I didn't know she was that flexible!" Lucy exclaimed, "Dear God, how did those two manage to have that much stamina!?"

"No way, Juvia and ice sickle head got together!? I thought Gray didn't like Juvia?" Natsu exclaimed.

"You…you obviously weren't paying attention to how they interacted." Lucy cleared her throat and turned to a more appropriate page.

"When we fought E.N.D last year, Gray nearly lost Juvia on two separate occasions. After everything calmed down, I think he started being honest with himself about how he felt for Juvia and was more receptive of her feelings. Juvia's entries only serve to confirm that."

Lucy arched her brow then, noticing something on the page she had selected.

"Here's something… according to this entry, Gray and Juvia were training one day when something unexpected happened. Out of nowhere, a series of dark markings appeared on their bodies. Juvia was scarred at first but Gray assured her everything was alright…after that day, the entries become less and less frequent with little detail to boot. And then…they just stopped altogether. Juvia's last entry was over six months ago…and this diary hasn't been touched since."

"What…what does that mean?" Wendy asked pensively.

"…Did Juvia describe the markings in better detail?" Natsu asked, his attention fully devoted to his right arm; a look that neither Lucy, Wendy, nor the Exceed could place on his face.

"All she said that she and Gray felt a sudden surge of power run through their bodies and that wherever the marks appeared, a slight burning sensation followed it. But then it "felt good…really good." Juvia noted that her magic prowess increased two fold and that she felt stronger and faster than she had at any time in the past."

Lucy closed the book and looked to Natsu.

"You know something about this…don't you?" Lucy asked to which Natsu gave a grim nod before a scowl formed on his face.

"Aye…it's something I'm all too familiar with." Natsu growled lowly before he turned on his heel and exited the house.

After a stunned pause, Lucy and the others followed.

"Natsu?" Lucy questioned carefully, "Natsu what's wrong?"

Natsu was silent as he glared at something in the distance, something only he could see.

"They've been cursed Lucy…" Natsu growled, "They've been cursed just like me…and we need to find them as soon as possible."

Natsu paused again, grinding his teeth as he did so.

"But first…we need to make a quick stop somewhere before we can look for those two. Sabretooth isn't that far from here, right?"

Stunned by Natsu's tone, Lucy could only nod in response, "Yeah, they're just a few dozen miles to the north of here…why?"

"…We're going there." Natsu replied.

"What!? Why!?" Lucy blanched.

"I have a message that I need to deliver. A message that is long overdue." Natsu growled as his face contorted into a fierce snarl.

"_Gray,"_ Natsu thought, _"what the hell are you thinking?"_

XXXX

**...**

Elsewhere, far from the former Fairy Tail mages location, a meeting was underway in a dilapidated church set within the confines of a rather foreboding forest.

Deep within the bowls of the church, at a round table, a group of dark mages had assembled to finalize the plans they had been carefully preparing in secret for a number of months.

They were the mages of the dark guild Avatar.

And their leader was a priest by the name of Arlock; a man who resembled a steam powered machine rather than a human if anything.

"Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart," Arlock said, addressing his associates, "and Tartarus. With their defeat, the Balam Alliance has finally collapsed. It is time for a new era of Magic to begin…for a new power to claim the world…"

Arlock paused as a hiss of steam escaped the lips of his mask.

"Now…the time has come for Avatar. For our faith it be rewarded as we cleanse the world of the filth that has contaminated it and bring about the world envisioned by our lord and master; Zeref."

Arlock paused as he received nods of affirmation from his fellow dark mages; Jerome, Abel, D-6, Briar, Goumon, Mary…

"We do this, all for and in the name of Zeref."

"All for Zeref." Said Jerome.

"All for Zeref." Said Abel.

"All for Zeref." Said D-6.

"All for Zeref." Said Briar.

"All for Zeref." Said Goumon.

"All for Zeref." Said Mary as she looked across the table to the eight member of the group, giving him a soft grin.

He was tall, with fit, muscular build and frame. He wore a stylized jacket with its collar flared and no under shirt, thus exposing his muscular torso. A pair of white slacks and leather boots completed his appearance. His jet black hair was slicked back while his once dark blue eyes were now a menacing shade of red. His most prominent feature were the black, markings-similar in appearance to a tattoo-the swirled and covered the right side of his body.

The man gave a malicious smirk of his own.

"All in the name of Zeref. Isn't that right…" Said Gray Fullbuster; the former ice mage of Fairy Tail.

Gray smirked, without looking over his shoulder, as the ninth and final member of Avatar entered the chamber.

She was a strikingly beautiful woman, with long, wavy hair as blue as the ocean depths. Her pale, smooth skin all but glowed in the available lighting; lighting that only served to darken the blue and black dress she wore. It was sleeveless and exposed her shoulders and much of her back while two long slits exposed her toned, shapely legs. But, at the same time, the dress trailed behind her with a silent elegance as she sashayed over to Gray; her dark heels clicking on the stone of the floor.

Her eyes, once a beautiful shade of Aqua, were now a fierce red that all but glowed in the dim lighting.

And like Gray, a series of dark markings covered her body. But instead of the right side, the markings covered the left side of her body.

"…Juvia?" Gray finished as Juvia Lockser wrapped her arms around his chest from behind and rested her chin atop his head.

Juvia gave a smile that was as sweet as it was malicious.

"Of course Gray-sama," Juvia purred, "All in the name of Zeref."

XXXX

A/N: DUN-DUN-DUN! So…what did ya'll think of this one?

Natsu, Lucy and the gang may have one the battle against Orochi's Fin but they will soon learn that their dear friends, Gray and Juvia, have sided with a dark guild whose intentions for the world are far from pure. How will they react to this latest development, I wonder? (I'm sure by now we're all aware of the whole thing with Gray and Avatar but in this story, I'm partially playing it in line with the manga chapters that lead up to that point).

And then there are The Enforcers. Loyal servants to END of unparalleled strength. Expect to see these guys play a prominent role within the coming chapters; I had a lot of fun creating them and writing their parts.

I once-for who knows what time-again apologize for how long it took me to get back to this story and I sincerely want to thank all of you who have waited for your patience with me and my writing. It means the world to me to see that an interest is still kept in this story after such a long gap in updates. Were almost at the finish line and I intend to see this through to the end. As I stated, I'm back in college now but the semester has been off to a rather calm start so that should a lot me some spare time to keep writing. The only time I imagine I won't be able to write is because of my new work schedule and making time for friends and family.

In the meantime, I am going to update "Vendetta" and then bounce back to this story. I'm going to repeat this switching of stories into the beginning of October at which point I should have this story. I then will continue on with my other projects.

Next time; Alt. END Chapter 5: Old Friends, New Problems

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	10. Alt END Chapter 5: Old Friends

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

So…I had planned on finishing this story around the beginning of this month. But, as you can see, that didn't happen. I got busy with everything else going on here at college and did not have that much time to write. Even now my schedule is still a little crazy. Therefore, it'll be next month-November-when I'll be wrapping things up for this story. After this point there will only be two chapters left. I have the ending planned out in my head, I just need to write it down.

I thank each and every one of you who has been waiting for this latest installment and for taking time to give me your feedback.

So, last time we left off with Natsu, Lucy and Wendy working together once again after a year apart of crush Orochi's Finn. We also got to meet ten demon summons called "The Enforcers" who Natsu can call upon should the need arise. But, just when things seem to be looking on the upswing, our trio of mages discover that their dear friends Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser are missing and that dark forces may have had a hand in their disappearance. We now join them as they go in search of their wayward friends…who are currently in the company of some rather devious characters.

And as usual, here is a shout out to you wonderful readers who left a review for the previous chapter:

_**Wacko12: **_Hey dude, welcome back! You finally got to see "The Enforcers" after such a long wait; you happy now? X) Yeah, I had a lot of fun writing their parts and they'll play a big supporting role as this story draws to a close.

_**Rose Tiger: **_Hello and welcome back! Yep, Dark Gray-and Dark Juvia-are making their appearance in this chapter so let's see how our heroes handle this little problem with their former guild mates.

_**Sabrina-luna-potter: **_Hello and welcome back, how are you doing? I'm more of a RoWen guy myself but then again you can ship whoever you like; I got no problem with it. Yep, those are some of my favorites too and although they may not be exclusively in this story, I do try to include them when I can.

_**Johnny Spectre: **_Hey dude, what's happening? Yep, when you think about it whenever someone says "praise Zeref" they're actually saying "praise big brother Zeref". Yep, Juvia has taken to walking down the darkened path as well. Yep, I had a lot of fun making The Enforcers; last chapter wasn't the last you've seen of them however.

_**Snakeboy33: **_Hello and welcome to the story. In regards to your two questions, I think I may have some answers. You raised some excellent points with what you said and to be honest, in hindsight, I could have added those things to the chapters but I just forgot to do so…oops. And don't worry, there are no stupid questions; just stupid answers. Wendy, technically, is still a member of Lamia Scale. The plan was for her to check in with Gray and Juvia, spend some time with Natsu and then she'd go back to Margaret Town. But as you can see…things didn't work out as planned. As for Natsu and Lucy not wanting to get FT back together, I'm sorry for not further elaborating further on this. It mainly has to deal with Natsu; he's not the same man he used to be. In the year that he's been gone, he's become aware of how dangerous his powers truly are and in a sense, he's trying to find himself once again now that he's changed. And there's the fact that Zeref is still alive so he knows he'll have to face him eventually and he doesn't want to get too many people involved in his personal fight. I hope that answers your questions!

_**Sailor Pandabear:**_ Hello, glad you liked the chapter!

_**Lilmymshem: **_Hello and welcome to the story, glad you are liking things so far.

_**AngelEmCuti: **_Hello and welcome to the story. Yep, Gruvia is a side pairing for this story! Hope the wait was worth it!

_**Guest: **_Hello and welcome. I'm glad you chose to leave a review for my story, it makes me happy to know that you like my crazy style of writing and the story itself. There's only two more chapters to go so I'll do my best to update when I can!

_**Anonymous: **_Hello! For all intents and purposes, I'm going to have Natsu and Zeref still be brothers, yes.

_**Sarjun18:**_ Hello and welcome to the story. At the moment, Avatar knows Natsu is a demon of Zeref and they're basically treating him like a god. However, he'll turn that sentiment on its head soon enough.

_**Exxcaliburr: **_Hello and welcome to the story. I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying it so much. I wish the manga had some things in it too that we find in fanfiction…but then again, that's what fanfiction is for right?

_**HazelDragonNora: **_Hey 'Nora, how you doing!? College is going good it's just I've had some projects and other things going on that have demanded my attention at the moment. Glad to know you liked the previous chapter as I had a lot of fun creating The Enforcers. All shall be revealed concerning Gray and Juvia soon enough, just be patient please. And yep, we're almost at the finish line, I'm saving the best for last; END vs Zeref! Yeah, it's hard to believe I've come this far with a story that was only meant to be five chapters long, now look at it!

_**Shadow Knight Destoryer: **_Hello and welcome to the story. As of the moment, no I will not be adding the current fight between Fairy Tail and Alvarez to the story. I may allude to it happening but story wise; no. This story will be coming to an end in two chapters and that's my game plan for it.

_**The 10 year old: **_Hello, glad you liked the chapter!

_**Fufedoninha:**_ Olá e bem-vindo para a história, eu acho que essa é a linguagem adequada (à direita Português?). Estou feliz que você acha que a história é legal, eu estou muito feliz em ouvir isso.

So, as usual, without further ado; let's continue! Also, expect some harsh language in this chapter as well; just a little disclaimer because you never know.

XXXX

Arc 2: Alternate END…

XXXX

CHAPTER 5: Old Friends, New Problems

XXXX

_**Avatar Guild Headquarters…**_

"All in the name of Zeref. Isn't that right…?" Said Gray Fullbuster; the former ice mage of Fairy Tail.

Gray smirked, without looking over his shoulder, as the ninth and final member of Avatar entered the chamber.

"…Juvia?" Gray finished as Juvia Lockser wrapped her arms around his chest from behind and rested her chin atop his head.

Juvia gave a smile that was as sweet as it was malicious.

"Of course Gray-sama," Juvia purred, "All in the name of Zeref."

Gray reached his hand up and took hold of Juvia's as she moved with all the grace and fluidity of her element and took her place beside Gray.

"You're late." Gray softly whispered to the water mage.

"Juvia apologizes, Juvia was enjoying her bath more than she should have." Juvia hummed sweetly.

"Although it would have gone much longer if you had joined Juvia. Juvia knows how much you enjoy washing my back…amongst other things."

"Are you enticing me Miss Lockser?" Gray smirked.

"Enough!" Arlock snapped, "Now is not the time for your amorous musings!"

"Sheesh get a room you two." Mary frowned, muttering under her breath while Briar narrowed her eyes at the pair.

"My, my," Juvia tittered, "you sound jealous Mary-san."

"Now, now, Juvia," Gray squeezed his paramours hand, "that's enough. Why don't we let our esteemed leader speak his mind?"

Arlock gave an irritated grunt as the dark mages settled down and focused their attention onto him.

"Now then," Arlock began, "the Purification Ritual, as it stands, is on track to proceeding as we had planned. Soon enough, we shall sacrifice enough living souls to summon forth Lord Zeref and usher in a new age; created in his image."

Arlock paused before gesturing to the center of the round table where a lacrima crystal flickered to life, projecting a holographic display.

"However, it has come to my attention that two, unforeseen and remarkable factors have appeared to our benefit. Two demons of Zeref have appeared here in the land of Fiore and they are not just the run of the mill creations of our Lord…"

The display changed to that of the recent Grand Magic Games; of Natsu-in his full demon form-going toe to toe with the Hunters.

"One of our underworld contacts provided this for us," Arlock said, "is it not glorious?"

The dark priest held his hands aloft as if in praise or a mighty blessing.

"Behold, Lord E.N.D and Zeref's Hunters!"

A collective gasp resounded out from the Avatar members. The majority of the dark mages starred at the hologram in both awe and fascination, as if they were seeing a once in a life time spectacle-a dream-coming to fruition. Which, to be fair, wasn't that far from the truth.

"My word," said Briar, "at long last, Lord E.N.D has returned."

"I have read of the Hunters. I knew they were magnificent creatures but to see them in the flesh…simply marvelous. Lord Zeref's will knows no bounds." Added Goumon.

Gray and Juvia however, could only stare with wide, disbelieving eyes. Juvia's hand shook as the memories of the desperate fight from the year before flashed in her mind's eye. Gray felt the wounds in his shoulder, the shoulder that E.N.D had sank his teeth into, heat up. The searing pain of the razor sharp teeth piercing his skin still burned in the scars even after a year.

"Gray-sama that's…" Juvia whispered in apprehension.

"I know…" Gray replied, his tone equally stressed.

"_Natsu…_ He added as an afterthought before glaring at that hologram of his former guild mate and best friend.

"But I thought Lord E.N.D had been awoken last year only to be sealed away once more." Mary said, her fascination blending with her puzzlement.

"More importantly why are those Hunters fighting Lord E.N.D?" Jerome said, glancing at Arlock.

"They're supposed to heed Lord E.N.D's command, are they not?"

"Those creatures incurred the wrath of Lord E.N.D and were subsequently punished for doing so. They are simple minded beasts who do not know their place." Arlock replied, a hiss of steam leaving his mask.

"But Lord E.N.D is Lord Zeref's most powerful creation and therefore an extension of Zeref himself." Jerome persisted, "Therefore the Hunters should be bound and submissive to Lord E.N.D. Does anyone not find it suspicious that they are fighting one another?"

"Careful what you say Jerome," Arlock hissed, "what you say borders on heresy."

"All I'm saying-" Jerome continued but Arlock silenced him.

"Enough!" Arlock snapped, "We will hear no more of your paranoid delusions; especially if they are directed at two of Lord Zeref's creations themselves!"

The room was silent as Arlock took a calming breath, all the while Gray and Juvia's distress had gone unnoticed and they had regained their composure.

"Yes, it is true that Lord E.N.D was resealed back into his host last year, no thanks to those meddlesome mages of Fairy Tail. But as you can see, he escaped his bondage and has returned to walk the earth; preparing it to receive Lord Zeref's blessing. This, ladies and gentlemen, is an opportunity we cannot let go to waste. Lord E.N.D's appearance, along with that of the Hunters, is a sign that Lord Zeref is preparing to return; more so, they are hastening his return!

"If our plans succeed, we will undoubtedly attract Lord E.N.D's attention and in doing so we shall gain his favor. If we can make Lord E.N.D our ally, imagine what can be gained from that partnership; imagine what will await us when Lord Zeref returns. Therefore, if by chance Lord E.N.D appears to us, we must embrace him with open arms and let his will be done unto us."

"If by chance?" Gray spoke up, "What do you mean?"

"Lord E.N.D was last seen leaving Crocus for Margaret City. As of now his whereabouts are unknown. He could be anywhere at the moment so if we are to make sure he takes notice of us, it is imperative that our plans go off without a hitch."

Arlock stood then, taking his leave of the chamber as E.N.D's image faded away from the lacrima.

"The hour of reckoning is upon us," Arlock said, "prepare yourselves. This meeting is now adjourned."

"…How exciting," Mary beamed with an almost dreamy smile, "to think that we'll be able to meet Lord E.N.D himself."

"I still don't like it." Jerome grunted, "Arlock isn't seeing that Lord E.N.D's reappearance may also jeopardize our plans as well."

"How do you figure?" D-6 asked.

"Lord E.N.D from all accounts gathered from the previous year, is a bombastic and hard hitting demon. He attracts attention wherever he goes. The fact that he appeared at the Grand Magic Games only adds to this. Therefore, there is the possibility that Lord E.N.D may have attracted some unwanted attention; in particular the magic council. Do we really need them breathing down our necks at a time like this?"

"I see your point." D-6 added.

"Really now Scruffy," Briar said, "Do you think Lord E.N.D is concerned with the likes of the magic council. He could easily dispatch those fools with just the flick of his wrist if he chose to do so."

"I for one," Briar continued, "believe that we should not be worrying about threats from the outside but from within. We need don't need a creation of Zeref for someone to be aware of what we're doing."

"If the council has become aware of what we've been up to, that might put us in a "pot" of trouble." Goumon said.

"I think you mean "spot" of trouble." Mary snickered at the torture mages lame attempt at a joke.

"Never the less, an air of uncertainty still lies above our plans and that old man is too blind to see it." Jerome griped.

"Well that's gramps for you, he's a stubborn old mule doing what he does best; being stubborn." Mary grinned.

"Whatever way we look at it, fate shall ultimately decide what becomes of us." D-6 said.

"I don't care either way." Abel said, "So long as I get to have some fun, who cares what happens."

"You're all missing the point," Jerome said, "it's not the council that's the problem here; it's how they may have been alerted that's the real issue."

"You suspect a mole or moles within our ranks?" Gray said with a smug smile as all eyes turned to him and Juvia.

"Admit it already, you think Juvia and I are the moles."

"Can you really blame us?" Said Mary, "After all, you two are former members of Fairy Tail; the former number one Guild in all the land."

"We've ran thorough background checks on the both of you," Jerome added.

"Gray, your parents and entire village were massacred by a demon of Zeref. And to add further insult to injury, your former master and her daughter also died due to crossing paths with either a demon of Zeref or Zeref himself. And you, Juvia, your parents were water mages who were killed by a cult of Zeref worshipers, thus leaving you in the care of your uncle. But when he became ill and died, you were orphaned and remained so until you joined the Phantom Lord guild."

Jerome narrowed his eyes and drew his mouth into a thin line.

"Also…Lord E.N.D's host is none other than Natsu Dragneel; a former member of Fairy Tail and comrade of yours. Until now, he was missing for over a year."

"I fail to see what your point is." Gray scoffed with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"I agree, we've all been here for over a year now, why start asking these questions?" D-6 added, coming to the duo's defense.

"What I'm saying is that the both of you-Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser-have no reason in the slightest to worship Zeref. So I'm asking you this now; what's your angle?" Jerome affirmed.

Gray paused for a moment as he slowly took Juvia's hand into his before giving an almost disappointed shake of his head.

"It would appear that Jerome-san needs to be more perceptive in his searches wouldn't you agree Gray-sama?" Juvia tittered.

"Ultear, Ur's daughter, isn't dead. Far from it actually." Gray said, giving Juvia's hand a light squeeze.

"That still doesn't answer my question." Jerome persisted.

"For crying out loud, let it go already Scruffy." Briar stepped in, her tone annoyed at Jerome's accusations.

"No, Briar, I think it's time Juvia and I were explicitly clear on why we're here." Gray said before directing a pointed glare at Jerome while pointing his free hand at the swordsman.

A chill filled the hallway the Avatar members were standing in while Juvia's lips curled up into a very menacing and grin of sheer madness.

"The only reason we're here is because we're after Lord E.N.D himself." Gray said, punctuating each syllable of the demons name with a jab of his fist.

His fellow dark mages could only look at Gray with a mixture of shock and amazement. Earlier in the meeting chamber, they had sensed a brief bout of surprise and apprehension come from the ice and water mage but before they could ask the two about it, they regained their composure.

Composure that was no seemingly thrown out the window as Gray's own manic grin began to form on his lips while a dark aura engulfed him and Juvia.

"That thing…that man…that demon…" Gray sneered, "Zeref will be drawn to him. No matter where he goes, no matter where he hides, E.N.D and Zeref will be drawn to each other like moths to a flame. So, what better way to find Zeref himself than find the one thing that can draw him out? So long as I can do that, so long as Juvia and I can do that; I don't give a shit about anything else!"

"What about you Juvia?" Briar asked, looking to the water mage, "Why your interest in all of this?"

Juvia continued to grin as her eyes took on a rather disturbing glint, "Juvia lives for Gray-sama. Juvia lives to see his wish of finding E.N.D come true. Anyone who opposes this or stands in the way of Gray-sama's dream…"

Juvia formed her arm into a serrated water blade and held it up for all to see, the water glinting in the dim light.

"…_Juvia will gut like a fish!"_ She hissed, still grinning.

"The two of us have longs since forgotten about Fairy Tail. We live to find that demon and when we do…"

Gray let out a brief bout of manic laughter while the dark markings on his and Juvia's bodies briefly came to life, drawing the attention of the others and causing them to subtly take a step back from the two.

"We'll wipe him out. Then nothing will stand between us and Zeref. We're not afraid to all that is necessary to see that happen; even if it means tagging along with you freaks."

"Wipe him out?" Mary questioned, perplexed, "But why? He's Lord E.N.D…and his host was one of your friends too."

Gray gave a derisive snort as did Juvia.

"Natsu-san has been dead to us ever since E.N.D awoke in him. The moment the demon took over, he killed Natsu-san. Now only E.N.D remains." Said Juvia.

"Besides E.N.D, more than anything, will try to kill Zeref. And we can't be having that now can we?" Gray added as he began to walk away, gently pulling Juvia with him as they walked hand in hand down the corridor.

"So until that day comes…" Gray said only for Juvia to finish his sentence.

"Kindly stay the hell out of our way." Juvia finished, letting out a gentle peel of deranged laughter that echoed off the walls.

"_Just you wait…E.N.D…Natsu…"_ Gray thought to himself, _"Just you wait."_

XXXX

_**Elsewhere…**_

_**Sabretooth Guild…**_

A droning wail echoed in the wind; a ghostly call reminiscent of a banshee's cry.

It echoed off the rocks, canyons and hills that led to city the mages of Sabretooth called home. To those that heard the sound, they would take a moment to stop and pause to check their hearing; to make sure they weren't imagining things. Upon confirmation that, yes, the sound was very real they would also take notice of the fact that it was getting closer and closer.

They were about to receive a group of familiar if not unique visitors.

Two shrill, brief screams followed by the revving on engines announced the presence of the two hover bikes as they vaulted into the air, leveled out and then returned to earth as the menacing machines continued to levitate off the ground and move with near blinding speed.

The two bikes were red and black in color with their metal glinting in the sunlight with a polished sheen. They were sleek with straight, narrow lines and angled surfaces while being held together by a seemingly limitless, blazing blue flame.

Natsu and Uno guided their Hell bikes up and over a bend in the land before revving their engines once more and further accelerating their travel.

"KYAAA!" Lucy squealed as she held onto Natsu, "Natsu, slow down!"

"Yeah Natsu!" Happy echoed while he held onto Lucy, "You're going to fast!"

"Sorry you two but I really can't do that right now." Natsu called back over his shoulder, his voice rising above the rushing wind.

Uno matched speed with his master and pulled up alongside him while Wendy clung to the demon with a white knuckled death grip. A queasy look had formed on her face and it didn't take an expert to notice that Wendy was suffering from the motion sickness that came with being a dragon slayer.

Carla, like Happy, held onto Wendy for dear life as the two riders rounded a sharp turn in the terrain before once again righting themselves.

"Doesn't this bother you!?" Lucy called out to Natsu, "Being on a bike like this!?"

"Are you talking about when I get sick?" Natsu asked back.

"Yeah!"

Natsu shrugged his shoulders while keeping his eyes forward as he moved his bike in and around the topography of the land.

"Not really." Natsu replied, "Ever since E.N.D awoke in me, I don't get sick anymore. It's really weird but I'm not complaining."

Lucy couldn't help the frown the formed on her lips. She was glad that Natsu had found a way to get over his motion sickness, she really was. The sickness had caused more than its share of problems for Natsu and the others in the past. But at the same time, she missed how Natsu would rest against her and how she'd been able to run her fingers through his hair in order to soothe his aches and pains.

She had come to accept that there were a great many things about Natsu that had changed since he'd left over a year ago.

But, she had yet to come to terms with all of those changes none the less.

"Look," Happy suddenly said, "there it is!"

Lucy looked off to her right and was surprised to see a large city sprawled out before her. And at the center of it all was a large, grand building that towered over all the other structures in town. The large, golden sabretooth tiger atop the building easily identified it as the Sabretooth guild building.

"Wow, it's huge!" Lucy gawked at the sheer scale of the building, "So this is where Sting and Rogue call home."

"And with any luck we'll find them there." Natsu said as he began to marginally decrease to the speed of his bike.

"Natsu," Lucy looked back to her paramour with a concerned frown, "do you really think Sting and Rogue will be able to give us information in Gray and Juvia?"

Natsu tensed and frowned, "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, her tone confused, "Wasn't the whole point of coming here to find information on where Gray and Juvia might be? You said that'd we'd find our answers here and…and…"

Lucy bit her lip as she pulled herself closer to Natsu.

"Natsu…you're not making any sense."

Natsu was quiet for a moment before he took his hands off the handlebars…and turned _all _the way around in his seat.

Lucy let out a terrified gasp as her eyes went wide in disbelief, "NATSU PAY ATTENTION!"

"WE'RE GOING TO CRASH!"

Natsu gave a dismissive wave of his hand with his characteristic smirk.

"Don't worry this thing practically drives itself. We won't crash, don't worry."

"How can I not!?" Lucy shrieked just as Natsu grabbed Lucy by the shoulders and held her in place.

"Lucy, listen." Natsu said, his voice suddenly firm, "I need you to trust me on this. I think there's more going on here with Gray and Juvia than we realize. We need to find them and find them soon. Even if it's just a small lead, we have to follow it none the less."

"But how can you be so sure?" Lucy questioned, "How can you believe anything at this point?"

"Because it's all I can do. I have to believe in Gray and Juvia, Lucy. In order to get them back home, I have to believe in them. We have to believe in them."

Natsu pressed his forehead against Lucy's with the spirit mage becoming captivated by the determined glint in the dragon slayers eyes.

"I promise you Lucy; we'll find them. I'll find them."

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered in awe of the man.

"Just…just trust me. I know that's asking a lot at the moment but please; trust me like you used to." Natsu said and then turned back around to driving the bike. Lucy frowned once more but said nothing as she gently rested her head against Natsu's back.

It wasn't long before both riders had entered the city and summarily dismounted the hell driven machines. On shaking legs, Wendy fell to her knees before bending down to kiss the ground.

"I thought I'd never set foot on solid ground again." Wendy sobbed in a comic fashion.

Uno, for his part, rolled his eyes beneath his hood and disappeared along with the bikes, opting to return back to the pocket dimension he called home.

"C'mon," Natsu said as he helped Wendy stand, "let's get to Sabretooth and see if we can't find what Sting and Rogue are up to."

After a bit of wandering through the city and getting some quick directions from Happy and Carla, the trio of mages arrived at the doors of Sabretooth. Upon entering, they found many of the sabre mages moving about the guild with a hustle and bustle reminiscent of Fairy Tail in its heyday.

They were also greeted by a very familiar face.

"Lucy-sama! Wendy-sama!" Yukio Aguria greeted brightly, "Happy and Carla-sama!"

"Yukino!" Lucy greeted her fellow spirit mage cheerfully as the two women embraced in an excited hug.

"It's been a while, how have you been?" Lucy asked as Yukino gave Wendy a similar hug before addressing the blonde mage.

"More than better," Yukino smiled, "I've been doing very well thank you. We've all been doing well thanks to you guys to be honest."

"Yeah, thanks to you guys at Fairy Tail all the work that used to come your way is now going to us." Orga drawled out as he leaned against a nearby table.

"We've been busier than we have ever been before…if I seem to recall." Added Rufus.

Yukino was about to apologize for her statement, fearing that she had said something wrong in regards to Fairy Tail's disbandment, but stopped when she finally that Natsu had also entered with Lucy and Wendy.

"Natsu-sama!?" Yukino said in shock, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you come in!"

"It's alright Yukino," Natsu smiled good naturedly, "how've you been?"

"How've I been?" Yukino gawked, "Forget that, what about you!?"

"When you upped and disappeared, we spent quite some time seeing if we could find you; Rogue and Sting especially. They were really starting to get worried about you."

"It's a long story," Natsu sighed, "one that I'll have to tell you all another time. Speaking of Sting and Rogue, are they around? I need to talk to Rogue about something rather…important."

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A voice suddenly announced, "I must be hearing things because I could have sworn you were still missing Natsu."

"_**Speak of the devil and you shall receive."**_ END said as the the guild master of Sabretooth, Sting Euciliefe, made his appearance at the sudden clamor of voices.

"And Lucy and Wendy are here too? Oh man, this must be our lucky day!"

…There was, however, one glaring and obvious change to the man.

"_**Well…he's certainly been packing on the pounds."**_ END thought with a mild hint of disgust.

Sting, for whatever reason, was morbidly overweight.

"_**Seriously, for a Dragon Slayer that isn't natural." **_

"_Relax," _Natsu thought back, _"he's fine."_

"Long time no see Sting, you seem to be doing well." Natsu grinned as he and Sting shook hands.

"I could say the same for you too Natsu. Although I will admit the tattoos are something I wouldn't expect from you." Sting replied.

"Uhm," Lucy cut in, "Natsu are you sure this is Sting?"

Natsu cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah…who else would he be?"

"Well it's just that…uhm…" Lucy fidgetred, trying to find the right words.

"What?" Sting asked before looking at himself, "Oh! Sorry, um Yukino if you'd be so kind?"

"Of course Sting-sama." Yukino said and produced her Libra key, summoning the spirit who in turn, casted her magic to Sting.

In a puff of smoke, the young guild master was back to his fit and trim former self.

"There you go." Yukino smiled in a chipper manner.

"…What?" Was all Lucy could say. The day had gone from hectic to weird in less than a nano-second.

"So, what brings you here? I'm rather sure you're not here for just a casual visit." Sting said, crossing his arms.

"I need to speak with Rogue, do you know where he is?" Natsu answered.

"What for?" Sting asked, perplexed by Natsu wanting to speak to his best friend out of the blue.

"Do you know where he is yes or no?" Natsu said, his tone suddenly becoming tense with a subtle hint of agitation underneath it.

Taken aback by Natsu's split second change in demeanor, along with everyone else present, Sting could only answer the fire mage.

"He and Minerva took a job request. You just missed them so they should be at the city gates by now."

"Crap, we just there." Natsu hissed under his breathe, immediately turning on his heel and heading for the doors.

"_**I suggest you double time it if you want to catch up with them."**_ END added.

"Right!" Natsu barked before he suddenly bolted out of the guild and darted down the street, back the way they'd come.

"Oh dear, Natsu wait up!" Lucy called out, breaking off into a run of her own, "Sorry for the intrusion guys; we'll catch up later!"

"It was nice to see you Sting-san and Yukino-san!" Wendy blurted out as she ran off to catch up with Lucy while Happy and Carla followed behind.

In their wake they left the mages of Sabretooth gawking at them in a confused and perplexed manner. Stings mouth opened and closed as if to say something but found himself coming up empty and winding up with a total loss for words.

"Sting-sama?" Yukino finally spoke up.

"Yes?" Sting replied.

"What…just happened?" Yukino asked, looking to the light mage who could only give an exasperated shrug of his shoulders.

"I have no idea." Sting replied, "I just hope Rogue gives that man whatever answers he's looking for."

XXXX

Skidding around a corner and flailing his arms for the briefest of moments to steady himself, Natsu pumped his legs once more as he continued on his determined sprint; his boots digging into the ground as he did so.

Suddenly, up ahead, Natsu saw the familiar of silhouettes of Rogue Cheney, Minerva Orlando and Frosch the Exceed.

"ROUGE!" Natsu barked, "ROGUE!"

Sting looked over his shoulder at the sound of Natsu's familiar voice with a look of surprise, an expression mirrored by Minerva as well.

"Natsu?" Sting said, "Is that-"

And then the fire dragon slayer barreled into his shadow mage counterpart and proceeded to haul him off further down the street.

"I'M BORROWING HIM FOR JUST A MINUTE!" Natsu hollered, "WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!"

Minerva blinked once and then twice before the sound of panting caught her attention. She turned around just in time to see Lucy and Wendy make their arrival.

"What…" Lucy wheezed, "what has gotten into him!?"

"Natsu-san…"Wendy gasped, bracing her hands on her knees as she caught her breathe.

"You two are…" Minerva said before a pregnant pause befell the assembled exceed and women.

"Well, it's been quite some time since we last spoke hasn't it?" Minerva said, deciding to break the ice.

"Yeah." Lucy replied, giving her arm and awkward rub.

"I'm…I'm glad you were able to get back here okay. Everything going well for you?"

"Yes, I've…I've never been happier." Minerva smiled.

"You all seem to be doing well for yourselves." Wendy added, "We just came from the guild hall looking for you."

"Speaking of which, if you don't mind me asking, what was the big deal with Sting and him being so plump?" Lucy asked with a questioning smirk.

Minerva tittered, placing the tips of her fingers in her lips, "Oh yes, that's right! Just yesterday we celebrated out "Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, Food Festival!" and…Sting he…well…."

"He ate too much didn't he?" Lucy and Wendy asked in unison.

"Quite, you should have seen poor Yukino and Rogue; they had the worst cases of indigestion I've ever seen. But in the end, I was the one who walked away as the victor…while still maintaining my figure none the less." Minerva smiled, striking a rather silly pose that made Wendy and Lucy giggle.

"Is that why you all weren't at the Magic Games this year?" Lucy asked, "For the festival I mean."

"Not exactly," Minerva frowned slightly, "without Fairy Tail in attendance, many of the guilds didn't participate this year. For us, Sting thought there was no point in entering since there wouldn't be much of a challenge."

"Agreed!" Happy said, "The other guys sucked this year!"

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch chimed in in his usual peppy manner.

It was then that Minerva's frown deepened and she gave Lucy a pensive glance.

"Speaking of the games…I do believe I owe you an apology. I'm sorry, for everything I did to you. I was a different person last year and I let myself get carried away."

Lucy studied Minerva for a minute before giving the woman a warm smile.

"Apology accepted." Lucy said, "To be honest, I've put all of that behind me now. You don't have to worry about it anymore. After all, crazier things have happened to me."

"So we've heard." Minerva said, "It was a shock to all of us when we heard that Fairy Tail had disbanded along with Natsu disappearing as well. For such a wonderful guild to break up and an even more extraordinary man to vanish, it was all disheartening news."

Lucy and Wendy looked to one another, as did Carla and Happy, before they all displayed their Fairy Tail guild marks with beaming, pride filled smiles.

"So long as we carry the memory of Fairy Tail in our hearts; it'll never be gone." Lucy affirmed, making Minerva smile.

"That's good to here Lucy." Minerva said, "I look forward to the day Fairy Tail returns."

"Well, I hope you're prepared to wait. Natsu and I are just trying to figure things out together at the moment…we want to spend some time together by ourselves and Natsu has some personal problems he needs to resolve before we can even think about heading back home."

"So it's just the two of you now?" Minerva asked, her lips pulling up in a teasing smile.

"You know, the more I look at you, the more I see _that glow_ in your skin and eyes."

Lucy blushed furiously and sputtered out something unintelligible. But at the same time, she made no move to deny Minerva's subtle claims.

"Oh…really…I hadn't noticed…" Lucy said, pressing the tips of her index fingers together.

"Although I do suppose I've become adept at noticing _it_ myself. After all, Sting and Yukino share that same glow every few weeks." Minerva teased, making Lucy gawk with a surprised laugh.

"What!?" Lucy said, going into full gossip mode, "Those two, are you serious!? No, scratch that, how serious are _they_!?"

"Quite serious although they've done a good job of hiding it from the others. I think I and Rogue are the only ones who know at the moment. But then again, I'm the only one who knows about Rogue and Kagura's little secret as well."

"Kagura!?" Lucy blanched, "As in Mermaid Heel's Kagura?"

"The very same." Minerva tittered before leaning in to whisper to Lucy, "They've got the glow too."

"No way!" Lucy hissed as she fought to suppress her grin.

"…And…" Minerva blushed all of the sudden, "I've shown a bit of the glow myself when those two let me…uhm…join them. Sometimes Sting and Yukino are invited as well and things get…_interesting_."

Lucy paused for a minute before comically recoiling back in absolute shock at what Minerva had just admitted to her.

"WAIT! WHAT!?" Lucy screeched.

"Uhm, Lucy," Wendy said, an innocent look of obliviousness on her face, "What are you to talking about?"

"Oh, uh, nothing Wendy; just nothing." Lucy gave a nervous wave of her hand, "Just grown up talk between two women. We'll talk about it later…when you're older."

"But I-" Wendy said.

"WHEN YOU'RE OLDER!" Lucy quickly reaffirmed, hell bent on preserving the younger girls innocence for as long as she could.

"Oh man." Wendy pouted.

XXXX

"Alright Natsu what gives!?" Snapped Rogue, placing his hands on his hips in frustration, "Here I was thinking you had finally come to pay us a visit and the next thing I know; you hijack me!"

"Sorry Rogue but I'm in a rush." Natsu grunted, "I need the request form for the job you're going on."

"Say what now?" Asked Rogue, bewildered by Natsu's request.

"_Now. Rogue." _Natsu hissed with such impatience and venom that Rogue took an involuntary step back from his fellow dragon slayer. He reached into his pocket and produced the desired form.

Natsu studied the paper, eyes hardened in concentration as he committed the details to memory.

"DESTROY AVATAR" the form read in bold letters along with a location of the dark guild-which was a few dozen miles away from Sabretooth-along with a substantial reward for completing the task.

"So this is where they are." Natsu whispered to himself.

"Rogue," he then spoke up, "I'm taking this job for you."

"You're what!?" Rogue balked.

"No way Natsu, Minerva and I took this job and therefore; we'll handle it. This is a Sabretooth mission and…and speaking of which you're in no position to handle this either; Fairy Tail disbanded remember?"

"I'm not doing this for Fairy Tail," Natsu said, undaunted, "I'm doing this for _me_."

Natsu paused, briefly, as he took a calming breathe and fixed Rogue with a look that left no room for argument from the shadow mage.

"Look…I'll handle this job for you guys and hand over the reward in return. But in doing so, I need you to make a promise."

"What kind of promise Natsu?" Rogue asked.

"Until I return here to Sabretooth, promise me that you and Frosch will not leave the city. No matter what happens, you are to look after him and not set one foot from here until I get back. Understand?"

"What?" Rogue asked, "Why?"

"…Do you trust me?" Natsu asked then, his tone becoming firm like steel.

"Natsu you're not making any sense and-"

"Do you trust me Rogue?" Natsu repeated, tone still firm.

Rogue's lips seamed into a thin line but after a moment, he nodded his head, "You know I do Natsu."

"Then let me handle this." Natsu said and stormed back off to Lucy, Wendy and the Exceed.

"C'mon guys, we're leaving." Natsu announced as he summoned Uno and the Hell bikes once again.

"Wait Natsu, didn't we just get here!?" Lucy questioned, but Natsu didn't respond. Sighing heavily, Lucy hopped on the back of the bike once more.

"Oh no, here we go again." Wendy moaned as Uno revved the engine of his bike.

"Minerva!" Natsu called out over his shoulder, "Keep an eye on Frosch and Rogue until we get back; do not, under any circumstances, let them leave!"

And then, with a roar of the engines, the bikes darted off and out the city gates in the blink of an eye, leaving a very baffled Minerva and Rogue in their wake.

"_One year from now…"_ Future Rogue's voice echoed in Natsu's mind, a haunting memory from the previous year's debacle at the Grand Magic games.

"_One year from now…make sure you tell…that I must protect Frosch. If I fail…Gray will kill Frosch."_

Natsu growled to himself as he gunned the engine of his bike. He refused to let that happen. He refused to let Rogue turn into that man. He refused to let Lucy's future be taken away from her in the way her future self-had lost hers.

He refused to let Gray become a murderer.

XXXX

An hour later, Natsu had stopped the group at a clearing in a forest that was near to Avatar's location. The Hell bikes, as fast they could travel, also created a fair amount of noise. Not wanting to wake the dead and or let the free world know they were coming, Nastu opted to travel the rest of the way on foot and have some element of surprise on their side.

He'd wanted to go in guns blazing but after a mental scolding from END, Natsu relented to playing cloak and dagger for the time being.

"Who are these guys?" Happy asked, studying the job form Rogue had given Natsu, "I've never heard of them."

"They're a bunch of scary people." Wendy said to which Lucy nodded in confirmation.

"Its dark mage cult devoted to following Zeref. After all of the dark mage guilds were defeated they rose to power within in the underworld community." She said.

"Zeref!?" Natsu said in surprise before palming his face, "Oh son of a bitch."

"_**You have got to be kidding me."**_ END added, his tone annoyed.

"There is no evidence to support that Zeref is directly involved with Avatar but the consensus is that they worship Zeref like he's some sort of god." Lucy continued.

"_**A god?"**_ Zeref scoffed, "_**Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. I can personally assure you that Zeref doesn't give a shit about fanatics like these Avatar punks. In fact, even if he is aware of them, they are hardly worth his attention or time." **_

"_People are crazy, what can I say?"_ Natsu though back.

"So we're up against a bunch of Zeref's lackey's eh?" Natsu smirked, "Pssh, piece of cake. I'm getting fired up just thinking about clobbering them."

"That still doesn't explain why Gray and Juvia are tied into all of this." Lucy said, frowning in concern.

"Do you think they got captured and are being held prisoner?" Wendy asked, her concern evident, "What if they stumbled onto something they shouldn't have."

"Unlikely." Natsu said before steepling his hands in front of his face, a look of deep concentration forming as his brow furrowed.

"_**Natsu,"**_ END prodded gently, _**"tell them."**_

Natsu gave a heavy sigh in reply as he ran his hand through his hair.

"There's something you guys need to know…about Gray. I didn't tell you guys earlier because I didn't think things would come this far but…at last year's Grand Magic Games, when I fought the Rogue from the future he told me…he told me that a year later, around this time, he and Gray would fight one another as enemies. And that things got bad…really bad."

"Future Rogue!?" Lucy gasped, the memory of her future self-dying at the hands of the corrupted mage flashing before her mind's eye.

"Enemies!?" Wendy balked, "Natsu, what does that mean!?"

"I don't know." Natsu replied, "Based on what Rogue told me, I figured Gray would somehow be at the job our Rogue was going to."

"But the future is bound to have changed right? I mean, how could it not after what we did…after what we know?" Lucy asked.

"Like I said, I don't know." Natsu admonished, "I'm not even sure if Gray and Juvia are even at this Avatar place. But right now this is the only information we have on their whereabouts so we have to give it a shot."

"But to think that both Gray and Juvia have become our enemies…" Wendy added, crestfallen.

"I think if they are at Avatar, they're not doing it of their own free will. Remember those black marks Juvia described in her diary, well, last year when E.N.D took over me…in those nightmares I had right before I left…I remember seeing those same marks on Gray when he fought E.N.D.

"Those are the marks of Devil Slayer Magic. I'm thinking, what if Gray learned that magic took quickly for his body to catch up with it and the magic itself is corrupting him."

"But how does that explain what happened to Juvia?" Lucy asked.

"Think about it, those two have been together since Fairy Tail broke up. You remember what Juvia wrote done. They spent all their time together whether it be going on jobs, cooking, cleaning, sharing the same bed, making love and even training together. Gray's magic was bound to have rubbed off on Juvia at some point. Since the magic came from Gray, it's probably corrupting Juvia just as it is him."

"Oh my god…" Lucy whispered.

"No." Wendy added, tears forming in her eyes as Happy gently patted her on the back.

Lucy fixed Natsu with a look of concern while a hint of betrayal formed in her eyes.

"_Natsu,"_ Lucy gripped the hem of her skirt, biting her lip, _"why didn't you tell us this before? Why didn't you tell me? You knew Gray and Rogue fought so that means you also know the outcome of that fight…what happened that you're not telling me? And…what else are you hiding?" _

She was surprised when Natsu took her hand into his own, giving it a comforting rub with his thumb.

"I know what it sounds like. But believe me, we'll get those two knuckleheads back and we'll bring them home where they belong. I promise."

"Yeah!" Wendy said, perking up at Natsu's confidence.

"…You always know how to cheer me up don't you?" Lucy asked, tugging Natsu's hand to rest above her heart.

XXXX

After gathering their things, the group followed Natsu as he led them deeper into the forest which had become overrun with the roots of the massive trees that surrounded them. The roots had become so numerous and tangled that they nearly obstructed the road that they had hardly noticed on their way in. Eventually they were led to ruins of an old, dilapidated church.

If a dark guild wanted a place to remain out of sight and mind, the church before them was the most obvious choice for a hiding spot.

"What a decrepit, spooky place." Wendy said, peeking up over the vine the group had hidden behind and dumped their packs at.

"_**I don't know,"**_ END said to Natsu, _**"a little decorating and a few repairs and you might get a rather cozy set up out of it."**_

"_Says the dark and brooding demon."_ Natsu teased.

"…_**Fair enough."**_ END quipped.

"_What are we going to do?"_ Natsu asked his other half, _"I'd suggest kicking in the front door but you'd probably break my legs if I tried it."_

"_**Congratulations, you're starting to catch on."**_ END said sardonically, _**"We can't go in through the front, they've probably prepared for that. I suggest we take the road less traveled and infiltrate their ranks in a manner they haven't considered."**_

Natsu scratched his chin in thought before asking aloud, "Any ideas on getting in there?"

"I'd suggest the roof but that would probably draw too much attention." Wendy said.

"Not to fear," Lucy added, drawing Virgo's key, "I have just the solution. With Virgo's powers we'll be able to sneak in right beneath their feet."

"Good thinking Lucy!" Wendy beamed.

"_**Clever girl."**_ END added and Natsu could sense the demons smirk praise.

"_That's my Lucy for you."_ Natsu thought with pride.

"Alright Virgo, we need you. Open gate of the Maiden!" Lucy called out to her spirit, "Vir-"

The maid spirit appeared but not in the manner the others were expecting. She was currently tied up with rope and bound in a rather provocative manner.

"-go?" Lucy finished as she and the others starred slack jawed at the spirit.

"_**Okay…now I've seen everything."**_ END said.

"Virgo, what happened to you!?" Lucy said in panic.

"Are you alright!?" Wendy questioned as she and Lucy worked to free the spirit.

"Don't worry." Virgo said in her usual monotone but with a smile, "I was merely entertaining myself."

"Virgo…we really need to talk about this whole punishment thing you got going on." Lucy balked.

"…_**.Hmm…"**_ END hummed, _**"Kinky."**_

"_Don't you dare get any ideas!"_ Natsu snapped at the demon who cackled in response.

"Star Dress Virgo Form!" Lucy said and in a flash of light, she took on an appearance similar to Virgo's.

"Wow Lucy, when'd you learn to do that!?" Wendy said excitedly, admiring Lucy's new appearance.

"It's something my spirits aught me over the past year. It increases my magic by two fold and I can even tap into the powers of the spirit I've summoned."

"_**I have an idea to add onto hers, now that I think of it."**_ END said before explaining the details to Natsu.

"Hey, END and I just finished talking and we've come up with a plan. We'll split up into two teams. I'll find a way from the outside here while you, Wendy, Happy, Carla and Virgo sneak in from underground. We'll cover more ground that way and better our odds of finding Gray and Juvia." Natsu said.

"Good thinking Natsu…I mean END…no; I mean Natsu!" Lucy said before flushing in embarrassment, the Exceed giggling at her confusion.

Natsu then called forth one of his Enforcers and in a flash, Tres emerged from his coffin. The gunslinger took a puff of his cigarette before stretching his arms and back before drawing his guns.

"Ah, back in the action; and do quickly too." Tres said, "What's up boss?"

"I need you to keep an eye on the others while I find another way into that church there. They're going in from underground so you're going to be in tight quarters should anything happen." Natsu addressed the skeleton summon.

"Oh man, baby sitting again?" Tres groaned, "Why can't you have one of the others look after your girl and the brats?"

"Tres/_**Tres.**_" Both Natsu and END growled in warning.

"Fine, fine," Tres held up his hands defensively, "I'll do it."

Natsu sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'll be in contact with Tres so if you find anything, I'll know. If you need back up, I'll try and find my way to you guys."

"Likewise." Lucy said before stepping up to Natsu and pecking him on the cheek.

"Be safe alright?" Lucy asked, "And don't beat up Gray too much you hear?"

"Same to you." Natsu smirked and with that, Lucy pecked him on the cheek one more time before she and Virgo dug a hole into the earth. Happy, Carla and Wendy soon followed and Tres gave a despondent sigh.

"What're my rules of engagement?" Tres asked.

"You know who Gray and Juvia are right?" Natsu asked to which Tres nodded, "Then shoot anyone or anything that isn't them. But try to keep things as long as possible."

"Affirmative." Tres said before he too jumped down the hole to join the others.

"Hm, so this is what it feels like to be a gopher." Tres's voice echoed out in a contemplative manner before the sounds of digging died off.

"_**Shall we?"**_ END asked as Natsu looked to the church.

"Let's do this." Natsu said as he summoned his curse magic's.

"Stealth curse," Natsu said, "Shroud."

Like before with his heavy armor curse, Natsu changed to his etherious form, and his wings once again wrapped around him to form a second layer of armor. It resembled the heavy armor but was more sleek and streamlined to Natsu's body before bunching up around his neck in a material similar to a fabric. Natsu pulled the fabric up and over his maw and head, creating a cowl and deep set hood that hid the rest of Natsu's face.

Then a crystalline texture formed on the surface of his body and Natsu's form seemingly flickered in and out of reality before disappearing from sight. In actuality, the curse had warped Natsu's body so that it refracted the light of his environment around him, thus rendering him almost perfectly invisible to the naked eye.

It wasn't a fool proof curse in any sense though. If one looked hard enough, they would see Natsu's outline along with the air possessing an almost distorted shimmer. The distortion would increase the faster he moved so if Natsu played it slow and steady he would avoid detection if he was careful.

Natsu was about to move when he felt something tap the back of his mind. It was the sensation of two magical signatures but they were just at the periphery of his senses. The sensation had come and gone quickly so Natsu wasn't entirely sure what he had felt…but he thought he had sensed Levy and Gajeel.

Their magic was faint, almost nonexistent given the distance they were at away from Natsu.

"_**What is it?"**_ END asked.

"_I thought, for a moment, that I had sensed Levy and Gajeel. They're off to the south but at extreme range."_ Natsu replied.

"_Strange…what would they be doing all the way out here?"_

"_**Didn't Lucy say they were with the Magic Council now?"**_

"_Yeah but she had no idea what they were up to." _Natsu said.

"_**If they're this far out into the sticks and you were able to sense them, then the answer is fairly obvious; they're coming this way towards Avatar."**_

"_Why would they do that?"_ Natsu asked, perplexed as to why the Magic Council would send two of its best agents out to-

And then it hit him.

"_Avatar is a dark guild…they're coming to arrest them! That means they're going to try and arrest Gray and Juvia!"_

"_**That would be the logical reason as to why, yes."**_ END said.

"_We can't let that happen!"_ Natsu said, his frustration evident.

"_**Calm down. We have some distance between them and us. But all the same, we should get moving and find your comrades as soon as possible."**_

"_Right."_ Natsu replied, taking a few strides forward and leaping down into a vine filled gulley.

Setting off at an even pace, Natsu ventured close to the church before scaling one of the nearby trees. The font way in was obviously out of the choice and the roof, from what he could see, proved no better. There were holes and rooftop access but Natsu had the fleeting suspicion that there were hidden spells and traps that would alert anyone inside to his presence if he tripped them.

And then he spotted it.

On the Western wall, there appeared to be a drainage grate that led out into a small stream nearby. Odds were that no one had taken the time to really inspect the grate so Natsu quickly slipped down to the stream and was rewarded accordingly.

The grate was old, heavily rusting, and in needed repair. Forming his hands into claws, Natsu quickly but carefully cut away the metal bars one at a time and when nothing happened, figured his tampering had gone unnoticed. Slipping into the darkness beyond, Natsu called upon his Life Vision spell to help him see in the dark. The water silently sloshed around his ankles and Natsu was careful to slowly step and shuffle his way through the water.

Eventually he came upon a ladder and seeing as how the drain was too small beyond that point, Natsu followed it up. The manhole cover was old and equally rusted so Natsu moved inch by painstaking inch up and out of the way. Poking his head up, Natsu found himself in an old storage room that appeared to have been used recently.

At least he knew he was on the right track.

Sliding the cover back in place, Natsu crept around until he found a door…that was bolted shut.

He gave it a pull.

Nothing.

He gave a second, firmer pull.

Still nothing.

"Shit." Natsu hissed as he gave a wary glance around the room before he drew his fist back and punched it through the door, fumbling around before he found the external deadbolt.

"_**Smooth."**_ END said.

"What was I supposed to do?" Natsu grunted.

"Hey, who's down there!?" A voice echoed from the outside hall.

"Double shit." Natsu hissed and sunk back amongst a pile of crates.

"_**Real smooth."**_

"END, be quiet." Natsu rasped.

"_**What? It's not like he can hear me."**_ END replied.

"Hey, you guys know you're not supposed be clowning around down here." The voice called out, drawing closer before a glow of light could be seen.

A guard, dressed in strange cloak, entered the storage room wielding a lantern and a magic staff. Probably an Avatar guard Natsu mused.

"Hello?" The guard called out, "Hello? Show yourself."

The guard walked further into the room, carefully searching for whoever had caused the disturbance that had changed his routine patrol. Natsu remained behind the boxes, crouched low and back pressed to them thus making himself as small a target as possible. Even though he was invisible, he didn't want to take any risks.

The guard walked past him and Natsu poked his head up, eyeing both the door and guard. He could sneak past the man and be on his way but that would run the chance of the guard reporting the broken door and his entry being blown.

It would also put the others in danger.

Sighing in resignation, Natsu crept out of his hiding spot and on flat feet snuck up behind the guard. Just as the guard was about to turn around, Natsu's hands lurched out and with a quick motion, snapped the guard's neck.

Natsu let the poor saps body fall and caught the lantern before it could shatter on the floor. Natsu blew out the light and hid it, along with the body, behind some shelves. With any luck it would be sometime before the guy was missed.

"Sorry pal…better keep moving." Natsu lamented to himself, exiting the room and skulking along the wall of the hallway.

"_**That'd be a good idea."**_ END quipped.

"_Would you give it a rest already!?"_ Natsu snapped and END, once again, gave and amused chuckle.

"_**What, someone has to bust your balls every now and then so it might as well be me."**_ END added to which Natsu simply rolled his eyes.

The hall curved and led up a set of winding stairs and were lit by a few intermittent torches. Natsu took the steps two at a time, quietly, and quickly reached the top which in turn led out into another hallway. Poking his head out, Natsu found that this hallway was better lit meaning he'd have to be extra careful moving about.

Voices suddenly caught his attention and craning his neck further, Natsu could see two guards standing by a door at the end of the hallway to his right. Looking left, the hallway led further into the church. Figuring he'd have better luck going right, since that was where the bad guys were, Natsu looked around for a means to bypass the guards.

He saw none.

He'd have to take them by surprise and not make a mess or he'd have to wait for them to leave. And that would take time. Time he didn't have.

And then he got an idea. The ceiling was rather high and was supported by a series of horizontal beams across the top. Turning his hands into claws, Natsu slowly snuck out of the stairwell and climbed with all the grace of the cat up the wall before latching onto one of the support beams. He then began to crawl forward, albeit upside down towards the guards. Once he was over them, Natsu locked his boots into the beam and let himself dangle.

The guards hadn't noticed him; his shroud and stealth were still hiding him.

Slowly rubbing his hands together, Natsu drew them apart, creating a long piece of wire that was so thin it was practically invisible itself. Natsu then fashioned a noose out of the wire and rubbed his hands once more, creating another wire and noose.

It was monomolecular wire or as it was more commonly known; microfilament wire, a carbon based single bonded molecular strand of wire of immense strength.

Natsu lowered the two wires so that the nooses silently slipped around the guards necks without them having noticed a thing. Natsu then drew the wires taught and snapped his arms up, pulling the guards with them.

By the time they reached him, which was a shorter amount of time than one would have expected, they were dead. Securing them to the support beams, Natsu let them silently dangle from on high. He then took a key ring from the one guard and fell to the floor below, landing in a silent crouch. Natsu, after trying two of the keys, was locking the door behind him a moment later.

He now found himself standing in a small balcony that overlooked a large chamber. A meeting room of some sort with a round table at the center. It was vacant, for the time being anyways.

Four hallways led out of the chamber, thus leaving Natsu a bit stumped as to where to go. Sticking to the shadows, he pondered his current conundrum.

"Hmmm…should I go to the left…or to the right? Forwards or backwards?" Natsu muttered to himself.

"_**Maybe you should try eenie, meenie, miney, mo?"**_ END added in a matter of fact tone.

"_My Lord, we're inside the building."_ Tres's voice suddenly cut Natsu out of his thoughts.

"_We seem to have entered the basement."_ Natsu heard Virgo say.

"_Ouch!"_ Lucy squeaked, _"Tres, watch where you're pointing your guns!"_

"_Sorry!"_

"_Looks like no one noticed we're here yet."_ Wendy added.

"Do you know where you are?" Natsu asked.

"_Depends on where you are my lord."_ Tres replied.

"I don't know, I seem to be in some sort of meeting area. Does that give you an idea of anything?"

"_Nah…if I didn't know better I'd say we're in someone's torture chamber."_ Tres said.

"_Oh my~"_ Virgo swooned, _"Princess, would you like to punish me with some of these instruments?"_

"_Not now Virgo!" _Lucy hissed.

"_Oi!"_ A voice suddenly called out, _"What you doing in our hideout?"_

"_Up there!" _Wendy gasped in surprise.

"_Uh-oh."_ Happy said.

"_We've been spotted!"_ Added Carla.

"Tres talk to me, what's going on?" Natsu heatedly whispered into his mental link but the gunslinger had gone silent.

"_Is it fun? Is what you're doing fun?"_ The newcomer asked in an almost playful manner.

"_Wait what's he holding?"_ Lucy said before gasping in fright, _"That's Mister Cursey!"_

Natsu's mind reeled back to eight years earlier at the mention of the accursed doll. Back to Tenrou Island where the former owner of the doll had used to possess Lucy and the others before brutalizing them with the voodoo doll.

"_Oh how fun! You know of my doll!"_ The newcomer said, the sound of him hopping down to the floor followed.

"_I got this from some weirdo who used to be with Grimoire Heart. It possesses a very terrifying black magic."_ The newcomer sneered.

_KA-CHACK _

The sound of Tres cocking the hammers of his guns echoed across Natsu's mind…and then everything went to hell.

_**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

The sound of gunfire ripped through the once still calm of the church. The buildings unique design allowed the gunfire to travel all throughout the church…and alert everyone present to the calamity unfolding in the basement.

"_TRES, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"_ Lucy screeched as the sound of rock and wood shattering nearly drowned out her voice along with the gunfire.

"_He's lost it!"_ Wendy screamed, _"He's gone crazy!"_

"_AIEEEE!"_ The newcomer let out a terrified cry of his own.

_**THWACK**_

And then the commotion settled as the sound of Tres's labored breathing filled Natsu's ears while the newcomer's unconscious body fell to the floor. Natsu blinked once and then twice as the sound of the gunfire died off.

"_Tres; have you lost your goddamn mind!?"_ Lucy screamed at the gunslinger.

"_IT WAS A CLOWN!"_ Tres snapped, _"I HATE CLOWNS! I FUCKING HATE 'EM!" _

"_**You have got to be fucking kidding me…"**_ END said, complelty floored by what had just occurred.

"_**Everybody and their grandmother now knows we're here now!"**_

"_Tres, you just blew our cover! Seriously, do you always freak out like this!?"_ Lucy continued on her tirade.

"_Not when clowns are involved; no!" _Tres hissed back.

"Tres you dumbass!" Natsu snapped, unable to contain his outrage at the stunt his summon had just pulled.

"_Abel, what's going on!?"_ The voice of another new arrival called out.

"_Look another one!"_ Happy said.

"_Ah pi-tea!"_ The new arrival said as he palmed his face upon seeing Abel's unconscious body.

"_Intruders; how dare you harm Abel!"_ The new man said, "_You shall pay for insolence! The fact that you are in my-the Great Goumon's-training room is a blessing for me! Prepare to meet your doom at the hands of my-"_

_**BANG!**_

"_AGH!"_ Goumon cried out.

"_Spare me the theatrics. Seriously, why must every bad guy go into to some lengthy monologue? If you're going to attack; attack!"_ Tres said in a rather bored tone.

"_You shot me!"_ Goumon raged in pain, _"You shot me in the leg you creep!"_

"_That's two."_ Tres said, not paying the Avatar mage any mind before the sound of rushing air could be heard.

"_And that makes three." _

"_Wendy up high!"_ Lucy called out.

"_Right!"_ Wendy replied.

"_Lucy kick/Wendy kick!"_ The two women said in unison as the kicked D-6 right into the ceiling before he could so much as attack.

"_That wasn't so hard!"_ Happy said in his usually chipper tone before Carla smacked him upside the head.

"_Idiot! Now that you said that something bad is bound to happen!"_ The white cat hissed.

"_How…how can this be!?"_ Goumon groaned in pain, _"We…we're high ranking mages of Avatar…this shouldn't have…happened…"_

"_If this is the best these "Avatar" guys can offer then I'm sadly disappointed."_ Tres said.

"_You idiots…"_ A familiar voice sounded out and Natsu instantly perked up.

"Gray!" Natsu whispered, "Tres, I'm patching through to your eyes!"

"_Go ahead my lord."_ Tres replied.

Natsu raised his index and middle finger to his temple and closed his eyes, closing his eyes and focusing on the mental link established by him and his summon. When he opened his eyes, he was now seeing the world through Tres's eyes.

He wasn't in control but he had a front row seat to the action none the less.

"_These aren't some punks you can just push around. In fact, you could never hope to beat them on your own." Gray Fullbuster said as he descended the stairs off to the right._

_Tres raised the gun in his left hand and took aim, tracking the ice mage as he reached the bottom, prompting Wendy and Lucy to let out surprised gasps at Gray's current appearance._

_The sound of a pair of heels clicking on stone was heard and soon enough, a beautiful woman was at Gray's side._

_Juvia Lockser scowled at Tres as he then took aim with his second gun, training it on her. _

"_We'll deal with them." Gray said, glaring at Tres and his former guild mates._

"_You," Gray said, pointing at Tres, "who the hell are you? I've never seen you before."_

"_Who?" Tres said, "I do believe you mean "what". Saying "who" implies that I am a person; a living human being. I am no such thing. I am a summon of END, demon of Zeref." _

"_E.N.D?" Gray said before a cruel smirk formed on his lips._

"_So he is here…good. Tell me, demon, where is your master? I'd very much like to know where he is. He and I have some catching up to do you see."_

"_Sorry pal, I don't respond well to thinly veiled threats against my Lord." Tres said before he fired a salvo of lead at Gray and Juvia. _

_Gray formed a protective wall of ice only for the powerful bullets to blast it to pieces in a shower crushed ice. A long whip of water suddenly snapped out from behind the ice and lashed out at Tres, forcing him to duck back to dodge the attack. Then, from within the water, a glaring Juvia appeared and leaped out at Tres and delivered a perfect roundhouse kick that Tres blocked with his forearm._

_The force of the kick knocked Tres off his feet but he spun into the force of the attack, quickly recovering. He fired another barrage at Juvia who stood in place as she dodged and weaved in between the bullets. At one point even she broke her body apart, thanks to her water magic, and let the bullets pass through her midsection._

"_Where is he!?" Gray snapped, charging Tres and taking him by surprise._

"_Where's E.N.D!?" _

_Tres quickly flip cocked his guns, activating their sword forms, and brought them back to battery just in time to meet Gray's ice sword._

_Ice and steel grinded against one another as Gray's red eyes locked with Tres hollowed out sockets. _

"_I can sense his magic on you," Gray said through gritted teeth, "that cursed magic. The magic of E.N.D." _

"_How perceptive of you." Tres quipped in a similar tone. _

_The two pushed off one another and slid apart, taking combative stances as Tres kept his one gun in sword mode before switching the other back to its firearm mode. _

"_Tres, stop it!" Lucy snapped at the summon, "Those two are the people we came looking for!" _

"_Is that why you're here?" Gray said, looking at Lucy and the others, "You came all this way just to find Juvia and me?" _

"_We were worried about you two!" Wendy spoke up, "Lyon-san and I hadn't heard from you two in over six months. Natsu and Lucy showed up in town a few days ago and we wanted to see if you two were alright." _

"_Didn't anyone ever teach you how to mind your own business?" Gray snapped at Wendy, the younger mage's eyes widening in shock._

"_How dare you talk to Wendy like that!" Carla hissed._

"_Yeah Gray, that wasn't very nice!" Happy added, "Can't you and Juvia see that she's been worried sick about the two of you?"_

"_As if we care about what some pint sized mage thinks of us." Juvia sneered._

"_But we're you're friends; we have every right to care about you! Both of you!" Lucy cried out, "Gray, Juvia, can't you see that there's something wrong with you!? Can't you understand that we're here to help you and to bring you home!?"_

"_You act as if we're still in Fairy Tail "love rival."" Juvia said before chuckling darkly._

"_Pathetic. Truly pathetic. We don't need that farce of a guild anymore; not when we have chosen to walk a different path." _

"_Fairy Tail is gone Lucy, didn't you catch the memo?" Gray smirked cruelly, "I mean, I know you were there when the old man disbanded us. After all, Natsu had just abandoned you." _

"_Gray-san!" Wendy gasped in shock, revulsion clearly showing on her face._

"_Gray, that was uncalled for and you know it!" Happy snapped at the ice mage. _

_Lucy's hands balled into fists and she grit her teeth; her bangs shadowing her eyes as her head lowered._

"_Fairy Tail doesn't exist anymore. And it no longer holds a place in my heart." Gray said._

"_The same goes for Juvia. We have no need for all that "friendship" bullshit anymore." _

_With surprising calm, Lucy suddenly walked up to Gray…and promptly slapped him across the face. _

_Gray fixed Lucy with an annoyed glare only for Lucy to slap him a second time. Lucy raised her hand to deliver a third and final slap but was stopped when Juvia caught her wrist in a vice like grip._

"_Don't you dare touch Gray-sama like that ever again." Juvia hissed as Lucy wrenched her hand free. _

"_How dare you!" Lucy barked at both Gray and Juvia as tears fell from her eyes._

"_How dare you say something so insulting! You know damn well that all the memories created, the times we shared, everything we endured; it was all real! Fairy Tail was real and it still is! For you to say that all of that was bullshit is a flat out lie! I refuse to believe that!"_

_Lucy then focused her attention solely on Gray._

"_And you…for you to call him that name…to insult him like that! He is your best friend Gray!"_

"_He's dead to me." Gray sneered, "You and I both know that only E.N.D remains. He's simply wearing Natsu's skin."_

"_You're wrong!" Lucy protested._

"_Am I?" Gray replied…just as Juvia pulled him back in time to avoid Tres's surprise attack. His gun-sword was mere centimeters from cleaving his head in two._

"_Tres!?" Lucy gasped, stumbling back._

"_You humans are so overdramatic." Tres said, annoyed._

"_Look girl I don't care if these two are your allies or not but I will not allow mister dark and brooding to threaten my master." _

"_You again." Gray hissed, "You're really starting to grate on my last nerve." _

"_Likewise." Tres quipped and fired his gun at Gray and Juvia again, forcing the two mages to scatter in order to dodge the bullets._

"_Tres, stop!" Lucy cried out…but he ignored her._

_Tres ceased his firing and charged Gray once more, bringing his sword to bear as he slashed at Gray while the ice mage managed to spin and weave in between the attacks. Tres was caught off guard however when a torrent of water slammed into his side, smashing him into a nearby wall. Drenched head to toe, Tres pulled himself free of the wall and glared at Juvia who gave a cocky smirk in turn._

"_Gray-sama, he's all yours." Juvia said in a sickeningly sweet manner. _

_Gray swiped his hand out then and ice suddenly formed around Tres's legs and rapidly began to spread upwards. _

"_Oh crap!" Tres said as the ice rapidly encased his body. He aimed his gun at Gray and fired off a shot but the bullet was frozen in midair just as it left the barrel. _

"_Damn it, I'm frozen solid!" Tres's voice echoed throughout his mind._

_Tres's point of view took a warped sheen, as if looking through a semi distorted piece of glass. Tres may have been frozen in place but that didn't mean he couldn't see or hear what happened outside the ice._

"_Well now," Gray said, "that solves that." _

"_Good work Gray-sama." Juvia added, walking up to him and linking her arm with his._

"_Tres!" Lucy cried out._

"_No!" said Wendy. _

_The two women made to ran to Tres's aid but froze mid stride before falling to their knees, clutching their stomachs. They began to groan in pain as they collapsed, as if something was twisting their insides against their will. Wendy clamped her hand over her mouth but that did nothing to stop the bile that she began to cough up. _

"_There you are Mary," Gray said, "I was wondering when you'd get here." _

_The young girl with the cat eared bow smiled sweet smile as she sauntered over to Lucy and Wendy._

"_Who are these people Gray, Juvia?" Mary tittered, "Are they your old friends? The ones from that long gone guild?"_

"_Princess hang on!" Virgo called out rushing to save her master only for a set of chains to suddenly wrap around her, Happy and Carla. _

"_Don't be so has-tea." Goumon said, having recovered from his gunshot wound. _

"_These chains are mode of magic sealing stone!" Virgo said as she was brought to her knees._

"_And that was a really bad pun!" Happy added._

_Mary snickered in a cruel manner, "Weaklings like you have no place interfering in our business. Did you honestly think that friendship crap you guys preach would do you any good here?"_

"_Aaagh…aaagghh!" Lucy moaned._

"_I'm…I'm going to be sick…" Wendy said before she promptly vomited the contents of her stomach onto the floor. The poor girl then began to sob._

_In a surprising act of mercy, Juvia used her water magic to wash the bile away from Wendy before giving her some fresh water to drink._

"_Hurts doesn't it; my black magic?" Mary sneered._

"_Easy Mary. We need them alive." Gray said as Jerome made his appearance._

"_For what reason if I may ask." The swordsman said as he drew his blade and leveled it with Lucy's neck in warning._

"_Lucy here has a special… "Connection" with E.N.D; wherever she goes he's bound to be not too far behind." Gray said._

"_Oh really?" Mary hummed, "Do tell." _

"_All in due time. Just keep her alive and Lord E.N.D will be here soon enough."_

"_G-Gray…" Lucy coughed, "J-Juvia…you-you're being p-possessed! Can't you see it!? Y-You have to fight it!"_

_Gray looked to Juvia before sighing heavily._

"_This is who we are now." Gray said as he removed his jacket while Juvia pulled the aside the slit in her dress. _

"_In order to find E.N.D…In order to find Zeref…" Gray said as a twisted grin split his face._

"_We erased the mark of Fairy Tail with our own hands." Juvia finished._

_Indeed, Gray and Juvia's guild marks were no longer in the places Lucy remembered them being. They had been replaced with the mark of Avatar. _

_The mark of a dark guild. _

_They both truly had cut all ties to Fairy Tail…to their family._

"_No…" Lucy wheezed, "No!"_

_Gray then turned to Tres and walked over to his frozen form. He curled his fingers and the ice retracted from his head and shoulders._

"_I am going to ask you one last time." Gray said evenly, "Where is E.N.D?" _

"_If I refuse to tell you?" Tres asked to which Gray smirked darkly._

"_I'll make you. And if you still refuse to relent…we can always "ask" Lucy." _

_Tres paused for a minute before taking a puff of his now relit cigarette._

"…_Uhm…" Tres said, right before the horrible sound of breaking bone and ice was heard. Tres, with all the strength he could manage, broke his gun and shooting arm free of the ice (at the expense of snapping his limb like a twig) and pressed the muzzle to his head._

"_Yeah, fuck that." And pulled the trigger._

**BANG! **

The connection was severed and Natsu found himself back in his own head just as the gunshot's echoed faded away.

Natsu was frozen in place, his breathing deep and labored.

Had that happened? Had all of that really just happened?

"_**Natsu…"**_ END spoke up.

Had he really just seen both Gray and Juvia turn on Lucy, Wendy and the Exceed? Their friends? Their family?

"_**Natsu…" **_END said again, his tone cautious.

Had he really just seen them denounce Fairy Tail and throw away everything they had accomplished together? All the memories they shared!?

"_**Natsu…Natsu, calm down."**_ END spoke once more.

But Natsu didn't hear him. His maw slowly opened as a deep, menacing hiss left his sharpened teeth. Liquid fire coursed through his veins, stoking the flames of rage that burned in his heart.

"_**Natsu!"**_ END called out to his other half but Natsu sprang to his feet and darted down the hallway. He didn't care if people could see his cloaked form darting down the halls or if he alerted others to his presence.

His temper, his anger, had taken hold of him. And it was all focused onto a particular ice and water mage.

Thankfully, he passed not a single living soul on his anger fueled sprint.

The hallway that led to the basement was filled with Gray and Juvia's scents but by the time he neared the area, they were gone.

Instead of heading into the basement to rescue Lucy and the others, his rage driven mind coaxed him into following the alternate path to pursue Gray and Juvia. Following the scent trail, Natsu had enough common sense to stop himself when he heard voices echo from further down the hallway. Creeping along like the predator he had become Natsu tuned into the conversation playing out between Gray, Juvia, and the other Avatar members.

"Goumon," Jerome said, "head back to the cells and deal with our guests. Find out how they learned of our hideout and what they're really doing here."

"Remember to spare the blonde one though." Mary added, "As Gray said, she is somehow the key to luring out Lord E.N.D."

"I will ensure that she is not too damaged." Goumon replied, "After all, she should consider herself honored that Lord E.N.D has even taken notice of her in the first place."

"I will inform Master Arlock of these recent developments." Jerome continued, "He will be most pleased with this. In the meantime, the Purification Ritual will be starting in only a matter of hours so begin making your needed preparations."

With that, the dark mages went their separate ways. Natsu hid in a small alcove in the wall as Goumon passed on by. He paid the man no mind as he snuck back out and rounded the bend, finding Gray and Juvia at their spots; apparently having chosen to wait behind.

They were now alone and in the open.

And Natsu chose that moment to strike.

However, as Natsu bolted forward, he failed to hear a new conversation start up between Gray and Juvia.

"They don't seem to suspect anything. Our cover still seems to be intact Gray-sama." Juvia said.

"For however long it lasts. Let's use it to our advantage and head back to the torture chamber and free Lucy, Wendy and the cats." Gray added.

"Juvia feels terrible for what she did." The water mage lamented but Gray put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We'll explain everything to them soon enough Juvia, don't worry. I don't feel much better myself but we had to keep up the act. I wasn't expecting them to show up either but we have a job to do none the less."

Gray made to turn, "C'mon. Let's cut them loose and get the hell out of here. With any luck we'll find Natsu along the way and-"

"Why wait!?" A voice suddenly hissed. Gray and Juvia were suddenly swept off their feet by an invisible force and slammed against the wall. A strangled gasp broke free of Gray's lips as something that felt like a hand constricted around his throat.

"I'm already here!" The voice hissed again as Gray and Juvia came to their senses.

"That voice!" Gray thought through the haze that filled his mind.

The shroud that hid Natsu began to dissipate as the crystalline sheen slowly shattered, reverting Natsu back to his standard etherious form.

"N-Natsu!?" Gray gasped in surprise.

"N-Natsu-san!?" Juvia coughed.

"Gray, Juvia," Natsu hissed, his tone laced with venom, "long time no see."

Natsu tightened his hold on the duo and lifted them further up the wall.

"Natsu…wait…" Gray gasped, "…wait!"

"Why should I?" Natsu replied, "Why should I listen to a pair of backstabbing traitors?"

"It's…not…what you…think…" Juvia wheezed.

"Is it?" Natsu quipped, "I heard everything that went on in that dungeon Gray. Everything. And here I find you, saying my name while just minutes ago, you said I was dead to you."

"I…I can…explain…" Gray coughed.

"Enough!" Natsu roared, "I will not here more of your bullshit!"

Natsu's eyes began to flicker between green and red as he began to visibly shake in anger.

"Traitors!" Natsu snapped, "Traitors! The both of you!"

Natsu tossed Juvia to the side then, forcing her to slide down the hall with a pained cry. He then formed his hand into one of his menacing claws and leveled it with Gray's heart. He cocked his hand back, ready to strike…

…And was suddenly tossed back against the opposite wall, releasing Gray while Natsu's arm seemingly came to life with a mind of its own. With a pained cry, Natsu's right arm began to twist and flex at odd angles before the fire mage fell to his knees against his own will. His arms snapped out then, bracing against the floor before he began to repeatedly smash his head against it.

"_**NATSU. DRAGNEEL!"**_ END raged, punctuating each hit with a slam of Natsu's head, bending his host to his will.

"_**GET. YOUR. SHIT. TOGETHER!"**_ END roared, _**"AND. CALM. THE. FUCK. DOWN!"**_

With a final smashing of Natsu's head, END relinquished control back to Natsu who slumped forward with a pained groan.

"_**Are you better now? Have you returned to your senses?"**_ END asked after a pause.

"_Sorry…I'm sorry…" _Natsu replied, panting for air, _"I…I don't know what happened…I…I just got so angry that I-"_

"_**That you were about to kill your best friend." **_END retorted.

Natsu looked up to see that Gray was clutching his throat, gasping for breath while Juvia was at his side, steadying him.

"_I didn't mean to!"_ Natsu protested, _"I was just so furious at Gray and Juvia for betraying everyone and-"_

"_**And you ignored their pleas for you to come to your senses. While you were drunk on bloodlust, I heard them try and say something to you."**_

"_Why should I listen!?"_ Natsu snapped at END, who hissed in warning at his host.

"_**Because you're better than some cold blooded killing machine. You are Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail. Start acting like it!"**_ END replied.

"Natsu…" Gray rasped, "Please…I know you're angry with us. But let us explain why we did all of that."

Natsu slowly stood back up on his feet and loomed over Gray and Juvia, glaring down at them as he crossed his arms.

"I know you have a lot of questions…" Gray said.

"Oh you don't know the half of it." Natsu bit out.

"Natsu-san please, here us out." Juvia spoke up, the fear evident in her eyes as she gazed up at the demon who had caused so much havoc just a year earlier.

"What could you possibly say to me that would justify you hurting Lucy, Wendy, Carla and Happy?" Natsu snapped.

"I know what it looks like Natsu. But Juvia and I had to do that. We didn't like it but we had no choice." Gray said.

"Natsu…Juvia and I are undercover. We've been spying on Avatar."

"…What?" Natsu said. He had been expecting a lame and pathetic excuse from Gray…but that was not one of them.

"Gray-sama and Juvia have been undercover to help the Magic Council and Jellal and Erza bring down Avatar." Juvia said.

"Jellal? Erza? The Magic Council?" Natsu said, obviously confused, "What the hell is going on!?"

"_**See what happens when you get the whole story?" **_END said, his tone smug.

"They were the ones who contacted us for help." Gray said, "We saw no reason not to."

Natsu began to massage his temples as he felt a headache coming on.

"…You expect me to believe all of this?" Natsu asked, suspicion clearly etched in his eyes.

Gray and Juvia looked at one another, nodded to each other and then looked back to Natsu. Then, to Natsu's shock, the dark markings that covered their bodies began to slowly fade away until their skin was completely unblemished by the cursed markings.

Natsu blinked once…and then twice.

"Alright…" He said, "You have my attention."

He crossed his arms then but held up a clawed finger in warning.

"But if you're lying to me…"

"Natsu, Juvia and I will give you nothing but the truth. I promise." Gray said.

Natsu narrowed his eyes but made no move to lower his finger, "Alright then…start talking."

XXXX

A/N: And that does if for this one folks! The third to last chapter is done and out!

Lucy and Wendy have been captured by Avatar but while they await their fates in a holding cell, Natsu has finally caught up with Gray and Juvia in search of answers to their apparent betrayal of Fairy Tail. But, all is not as it seems. Especially with the bond shared between Natsu and END.

In that regard ladies and gents were are now getting close to the end of this story. I know I said I'd have this finished by now but college, for the life of me, has demanded my attention. I've also been spending time with my friends in order to maintain my social life (or what counts for it) and I'm prepping to take a Civil Service Exam my state is offering so yeah…busy as always, what more do you expect from me?

I still am grateful to all of you who have waited patiently for this chapter and for being patient with me. I wish there was more I could do to express my gratitude but sadly, I can only give you these messages and try to convey my thoughts.

I am going to start working on the next chapter for this story as soon as I can and after that, I shall begin work on the final chapter…while also squeezing in some room for "Between Light and Shadow" while I'm at it.

As for the penultimate chapter, we'll see what Gray and Juvia have to say followed up by the decisive battle against Avatar!

Next time; Alt. END Chapter 6: Counterattack

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	11. Alt END Chapter 6: Counterattack

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

Sorry to keep you all waiting but I've been beyond busy these past few weeks. Let me assure you, I'm not dead, nor was I ever, and I am still alive and kicking. I just had a lot of work to take care of on my end of things and between working to update another story while also balancing out my job and a variety of college projects and papers, I found myself swamped with little time to sit down and write.

But, things have been leveling out with the end of the semester and I finally had time to work on this chapter. I know I said I was going to try and finish this story last month but my explanation above should explain why that didn't happen.

Speaking of the end of the semester, this week in fact is the week for my final exams so that means after this week, I'll be on winter break! I'll have more time to relax and in turn, more time to write!

Now, back to focusing on this story, we find ourselves at the penultimate chapter. That's right ladies and gents, with the next chapter, this story will be coming to a close. It's been a hell of a ride and we now find ourselves racing through the home stretch to the finish line. I'm going to work on the final chapter ASAP and I will hopefully be able to get it out to you all sometime before or after Christmas. Knowing my luck it'll be the latter.

To sum things up, last time around we found out that all was not right with Gray and Juvia. In the year since Fairy Tail had disbanded the two lovebirds had seemingly joined up with a powerful, dark magic guild; Avatar. Sensing that something was not right, Natsu, Lucy and the gang made their way to Sabretooth in search of answers. From there, they tracked down the whereabouts of their comrades. With time not on their side, Natsu and the others separately infiltrated Avatar only for Lucy and Wendy to be captured; at the hands of Gray and Juvia none the less who have apparently fallen into darkness. Enraged, Natsu sought out his rival and the water mage…only to discover that all is not what is seems…

So, as usual, before we continue here is a shout out to all of you who left a review for the previous chapter:

_**Rose Tiger:**_ Hello and welcome back! Glad you enjoyed the little gag there with Tres and Able; I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use it. I was actually laughing more than I should when writing that scene out. I'll do my best to crack out the final installment for you guys soon so wish me luck with that!

_**Icekat-Druid:**_ Hello and welcome to the story, I am very happy to know that you have been loving everything up to this point. END is a fun character for me to write out. He doesn't speak much but when he does, he usually leaves an impression. I was originally going to have Natsu and END voice their conversations with each other but then that would raise too many questions about sanity and who's really in control and all that. Thank you for sticking with this story for this long, I'm honored to know that you've been enjoying this so much. Yeah, I'm surprised myself that the end is coming for this story but hey, I've had a good run with it and I intend to give it one hell of a sendoff. I think there are going to be loose ends no matter what I do so I can only hope for the best. Thank you once again and sorry for the wait!

_**Wacko12:**_ Hey dude, how are you doing? Thanks for the idea, I already had a similar idea in mind for this chapter so it's funny that you mentioned something similar. Yeah, the whole Sting, Rogue, Minerva, Yukino and Kagura OT5 is a guilty pleasure of mine and I couldn't resist adding it in X)

_**Sabrina-luna-potter:**_ Hello and welcome back, glad you liked the chapter.

_**AngelEmCuti:**_ Hello and welcome back, how are you? Hope I didn't keep you waiting too, too long for this chapter!

_**Sarjun18: **_Hello and welcome back, glad you are liking things!

_**Exxcaliburr:**_ Welcome back! Yep, one more chapter to go; hard to believe right? I don't intend on making a sequel to this story but I will be adding a nice epilogue with the final chapter so that's something to look forward to I suppose. I'm not going to really add in the Acnologia for the final chapter, only allude to him but the Spriggan 12 will have a brief appearance next chapter. Things will mainly be focused on Natsu and Zeref for their final fight. If you're looking for a quasi-sequel/alternative story, you can try looking up my other story "Between Light and Shadow." You may like it.

_**DarkKaRyuu:**_ Hello and welcome to the story. Thank you so much, I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed everything up to this point and I'm honored that you think so highly of this story! I hope the ending when it comes because I intend to go all out with it…in a manner of speaking of course.

_**Sailor Pandabear:**_ Hello and as always, welcome back! Glad you liked the chapter there is more action to follow with this one!

_**Nom and meap:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! Sorry to make you faint, that seems to happen with my stories for some reason. Please don't hate me, I'm just some guy who loves to write that's all!

_**HazelDragonNora: **_'Nora my dear how are you doing!? Thank you very much for the support; I need it! Exams are this week so wish me luck! My Civil Service test went well thank you, I won't know until March how I did so I'm hoping for the best (I was one out of a thousand or so people who applied for the job and they have to narrow it down to twenty five or so people…yikes). Glad you are liking the stuff with Tres; he's a minor character but a fin one to write none the less. Yep Natsu wasn't happy with Gray or Juvia so he's expecting some answers as to what's going on and how they got to where they are now. Yeah, END is going to play a big role in both this chapter and the final chapter so pay attention to what he does and says. I guess, END, in a way, learned a thing or two from Natsu's memories of Igneel. Natsu and END may share the same body but they have different minds and personalities. END in a way, is who Natsu was before he died and was resurrected as END but he has been forced to mature as a demon but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about who Natsu is as a person and not as his separate half. So, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter before I start working on the ending!

_**Theliar:**_ Hello and welcome to the story! *Pulls out files from last chapter* Why, yes, indeed made Lucy say "I'm all fired up!" Glad you liked that part X)

_**Guest:**_ Hello and welcome to the story. Yep, more powers from END are coming your way in this chapter. Tres, although he tried to blast away Gray and Juvia, wouldn't go so far as to kill them since Natsu would in all likely stop him if it got to that point. Glad you are enjoying things!

_**Mista-Dragneel:**_ Hello…uhm, I'm not sure what you mean by "c". Were you trying to make "c:" or something like that?

_**The fan:**_ Hello and welcome to the story, I am glad you are liking things so far.

So, ya'll ready? Good. Let's continue with our story…

XXXX

Arc 2: Alternate END…

XXXX

CHAPTER 6: Counterattack

XXXX

_**6 Months Earlier…**_

_**Rainfall Village…**_

Gray Fullbuster stared, wide eyed, at his right arm; his breathing rapid while his pulse throbbed in his ears like a jackhammer.

The black marks, which now conformed and contoured to his hand, arm, shoulder and right side, silently held his gaze. They were like a tattoo…albeit more menacing and resembling something akin to the flames of a raging fire.

He had been sparring on his own on this day, the allotted day Juvia had given to him to allow him to practice with some margin of solitude. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the marks had appeared on his skin. He hadn't felt anything. Hadn't screamed in pain or writhed in agony. No; the marks simply appeared as if they had been a part of him all along, waiting for the right moment to appear.

It was this thought that made Gray realize that the marks were indeed connected to him, that they weren't part of some accident with his magic or a fluke that could be readily changed. The marks were the aftereffects of his demon slaying magic; the powers he had had inherited from his late father. Even after six months, he was still working to master the power that had been entrusted to him but it now appeared that the power also came with a price.

A price, to which he had no idea would cost him.

It was something that terrified Gray to his core.

However, these thoughts paled in comparison to the realization that Gray had a more daunting problem on his hands; Juvia.

How in the nine hells was he going to explain this to her?

Gray knew for certain that the moment she set eyes on him-in his current stat-she was damn near liable to have a heart attack. Or worse, turn into that ranting, raving, worried woman he knew she could become.

How would he assure her that he was alright? How would he tell her not to worry and that everything was under control?

All these thoughts and more raced through Gray's mind as he let out a frustrated and angered sigh through his clenched teeth while running his fingers through his hair.

Of course this had to happen. It was just his luck after all wasn't it?

Things had been going good for him…for him and Juvia.

They had left Fairy Tail six months ago shortly after the Guild had suddenly disbanded of all things. Gray and many others had protested the decision but Makarov's word was law and so, begrudgingly, the once tight nit family of Fairy Tail moved on to greener pastures, hoping for a day for them to come back together.

It didn't help that Natsu had disappeared out of the blue; leaving Happy and Lucy to fend for themselves. And right after they had just gotten him back from E.N.D's control none the less. Of all the things the fire mage had done in the past, his sudden disappearance ranked the highest on Gray's shit list. He swore that if he ever saw the man, he'd do more than bruise a rib or two.

But it was what it was. And they couldn't change that.

So, Gray and Juvia had made their way out near Lamia Scale, where they knew they'd be close to Lyon and Wendy and had settled down into an abandoned village that they quickly came to call home. It was an out of the way place that would allow him and Juvia to train in relative peace and simply enjoy their time together.

Juvia's mood swings had of course brought her trademark rainstorms with her and their little corner of the universe quickly became known as "Rainfall Village."

Gray, to be honest, loved living in the little home near the center of the town.

He loved the routine he had settled into, the training he could work towards.

But most of all, he loved being with Juvia; the woman he had loved.

Being apart from the guild, as much as he hated to admit it, allowed Gray to be more open with Juvia; to seriously treasure the value of her company.

Sure he had kissed her senseless when FACE had been deactivated months earlier, but that had been in the heat of the moment. Now, after six months, he had been able to allow her in and vice versa for her. From training, their daily chores and task, the quiet moments they shared, to making love and talking about the future; Gray welcomed it all.

He was in love with the water mage and nothing would change that.

But now, all that he had worked for…everything he had built with Juvia…it was all threatening to come crashing down around him. All because he couldn't keep his damn powers in check.

He was going to have one hell of time trying to figure this mess out, Gray mused as he stood up from beneath the tree he had been sitting under.

"I need to tell her about this," Gray mumbled beneath his breathe, "She needs to see this. To know that I'm okay."

The ice mage made a beeline straight for the home he and Juvia shared, his mind racing a mile a minute as he tried to think of how he would keep his live in girlfriend calm.

"But how…how?" Gray said, his hands tightening into fists; the knuckles popping and turning white as they did so.

Scoffing in frustration, Gray figured he'd better just cut to the chase and be open about what had happened. Honesty, as they said, was best.

"Juvia," Gray called out as he approached the door, "I'm coming in. Something's happened but I don't want you to panic alright?"

Gray gripped the door handle not waiting for a response and pulled the door open…

…Only to freeze in the doorway as his eyes came to rest on Juvia Lockser; her prone, trembling form sprawled out on the floor while gasps of agony echoed from her mouth.

The rampant thoughts that had filled Gray's mind came to a screeching halt.

He reacted in an instant.

"Juvia!" Gray cried out, at his girlfriend's side in an instant; quickly cradling in her in his arms. She was burning with fever.

"Juvia!?" Gray cried out again, "Juvia, speak to me!"

"G-Gray-s-sama…" Juvia rasped before her body spasmed and elicited another cry from the woman.

"It...it hurts…" Juvia whimpered as tears fell from her eyes, "it hurts."

"What hurts?" Gray asked, running his hand through Juvia hair as he tried to calm her down, "Come on sweetheart, what hurts?"

Juvia weakly raised her left arm.

The moment his eyes locked onto the limb, Gray felt his blood turn to ice, metaphorically of course.

"No…" Gray whispered, his fear and shock evident.

Coating her arm, similar in a manner to his own, were the same black marks that had enveloped Gray's right side.

"No…NO!" Gray cried out, "JUVIA!"

XXXX

"Ice make," Gray said as he settled his hand onto Juvia's forehead, "block."

On cue, a small cube of ice formed in Gray's palm before he gently placed it against Juvia's sweat slick skin; soothing the pain that racked her body.

Gray, after overcoming his initial shock, had managed to get Juvia to bed and stop her pain induced spasms. But now she was running a fever in the low hundreds and her condition was showing no signs of improving. His ice magic seemed to dull the aches and intense pains but Gray knew it was only a matter of time before Juvia slipped back into her anguish. And he doubted he'd be able to do anything for her then.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia muttered, her eyes opening only partially while brimming with tears and delirium.

"I'm here, don't worry." Gray soothed, removing the ice and propping her up against the head board of the bed.

"What's…what's wrong...Juvia…Juvia hurts…" Juvia said, her hand numbly searching for his.

"I know, Juvia, I know." Gray sighed, taking her hand, "Just rest now, I'm taking care of you."

"No…no…Juvia…Juvia has to make dinner…and…" Juvia began but was silenced when Gray softly pressed a finger to her lips.

"Don't worry about that okay." Gray said, trying to stay positive for Juvia's sake.

"Just rest. Look, I cooked up some broth for you. Try and have some, it'll make you feel better."

Juvia weakly nodded her head, too tired and pained to argue with her boyfriend, while Gray retrieved a warm bowl of beef broth from the nearby nightstand. He guided it to Juvia's lips and was surprised by how quickly she began to drink the liquid.

"Easy, easy…" Gray soothed, "easy."

Juvia swallowed hard on the last drop of the broth before she winced sharply as her arm did so in tandem.

"Gray-sama…"Juvia rasped as Gray eased her back down onto the mattress, pulling the bed sheets up as he did so.

"Relax Juvia," Gray said, taking her hand into his, "just go to sleep; get some rest. I'll get help tomorrow…for the both of us."

The moment her head touched the pillow, Juvia was out like a light. Gray sighed heavily, running his hand through her hair one more time, before standing and making his way to the trunk where he kept the gear for his missions and jobs. After rummaging around for a minute he finally found what he wanted.

It was a magic card; specifically one made by one Cana Alberona.

It was a "burn card" as she called; an emergency communication card that could only be used once.

Gray turned the magical item over in his hands a few times before finally activating it. He knew exactly who he needed to call. She had warned him not to do so unless it was an emergency…

Well…Gray was pretty damn well sure that what was happening to both him and Juvia constituted as a god damn emergency.

XXXX

Erza and Jellal arrived at the crack of dawn with the former hammering her fist furiously against the door. Gray hadn't slept a wink through the course of the night having stayed up with Juvia instead; watching over her as the marks slowly lay claim to her left side.

The second Gray had opened the door, Erza Scarlett brushed passed him with Jellal Fernandes following close on her heels. The iron willed swordswoman took a single glance around the house before spotting Juvia, still tucked in bed. Keeping her wrapped up, Erza carefully lifted the water mage into her arms, stirring her awake as she did so.

"E-Erza-san?" Juvia mumbled, her confusion evident as she nodded in and out of sleep.

"Hush Juvia," Erza said, her tone comforting, "we've come to get you help. Don't worry now."

Giving a pointed glare at Gray, Erza carried Juvia out the awaiting horse drawn cart where she gently laid her comrade down in the back.

Gray lowered his eyes in shame only for Jellal to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, "C'mon, let's get moving; we have a lot of ground to cover. We can talk along the way."

With a hefty sigh, Gray followed the blue haired mage-locking up the house as he did so-before hopping into the back of the cart and lying down with Juvia; letting her rest against him.

With a snap of the reigns, Erza guided the horses out of town and soon enough the cart was rattling along the rocky expanse of Fiore's countryside. They were heading to the southwest, back towards familiar ground.

There was only one person he knew of that could help him and Juvia…but odds were she was going to kill him for showing up unannounced and in the condition both he and Juvia were in.

Yes, Porlyusica wouldn't be pleased with so many uninvited guests…but then again she had always preferred her solitude as opposed to actual contact with people.

Unlike everyone else, Porlyusica had remained behind in her little home set in the hollow of a great old tree.

And in order to get her help, that meant a return journey to Magnolia Town.

A journey back home.

The ride was a tense, quiet affair and Gray didn't blame it for settling between him and Erza.

"How could you be so careless Gray?" Erza asked, her tone firm like steel, startling Gray.

Gray narrowed his eyes in response, "It's not like I did this on purpose. I had no idea my powers could have affected her too. The damn thing just popped out of nowhere the other day; it's not like I knew it was coming!"

"Watch your tone Gray." Erza said, looking over her shoulder.

"Do you honestly believe I would do something to her?" Gray hissed, pointing at Juvia. He was glad she had fallen asleep again, he didn't want her to hear this.

"No, but your carelessness in the past has caused more than its fair share of trouble." Erza replied.

"What did you just say to me!?" Gray snapped.

"Easy Gray." Jellal warned.

"You heard me Gray. Whenever you become so set in something, you usually lose all focus on the things around you. That includes people too. I know of the power you received during our fight with Tartarus. I know who gave it to you and why. But is going after Zeref more important than Juvia's safety and wellbeing."

Gray paused before slowly sitting back down. He then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I thought if I became stronger I'd be able to fight Zeref…to protect Natsu and everyone else from him. I can't afford to lose anyone else I care about…but it seems I'm doing a good job of ruining that ideal on my own."

"Your heart is in the right place Gray," Erza replied, "but your head is not."

She looked forward again and slowly exhaled out her nose.

"We can talk about this later. For now, let's focus on paying Porlyusica a visit."

XXXX

"Porlyusica, I know you're in there; open up!" Gray barked as he pounded his fist against Porlyusica's front door.

He knew he was risking certain death in doing so but the current situation overruled his urge to stay as far away from the medicine mage as humanly possible.

"Porlyusica, this is serious, please!" Gray called out once more with another string of knocks.

"What the hell is the matter with you!?" Came the raging, aged voice of Fairy Tail's resident medic as the door flew inwards as a rather irate Porlyusica stood in the doorway.

"You haven't been around here for six months and just when I think I finally have some damn peace and quiet, you show up out of nowhere, start pounding on my door like a madman and…"

Porlysuica's voice, however, slowly died in her throat when she finally took in Gray's appearance; when she finally saw the marks coving his arm…when she finally saw Juvia being supported in Gray's arms.

"What happened?" Porlyusica asked, her mouth forming into a thin line as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I'm not sure." Gray replied.

Porlyusica stepped back inside nodded her head in a beckoning manner, "Bring her in and be quick about it."

"Thank you." Gray breathed a sigh of relief, doing as he was told while Jellal and Erza followed in after him.

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice Porlyusica." Erza said, greeting the elderly woman with a soft smile.

But the medic paid her nor Jellal any mind. She was too focused on Juvia as Gray gently placed her on a nearby cot.

"Stand back and let me examine her." Porlyusica said, her right hand glowing as her magic came to life.

"I'm not leaving her side." Gray argued but was silenced when the elder mage glared at him from over her shoulder.

"Gray." Porlyusica said in warning, "Don't argue with me."

Gray frowned deeply and after taking a lingering glance at Juvia, did as he was told. The medic then placed her hand on Juvia's forehead and within seconds, the water mage was fast asleep. Porlyusica then took her hand and let it hover up and down Juvia's body as if she was being scanned.

"How and when did this happen?" Porlyusica asked tersely.

"…Yesterday." Gray replied after massaging his brow, "It was around noon. Right when my own marks showed up. I'm not sure what triggered them to appear. One minute I was fine and the next I'm looking like a tattoo canvas."

Gray sat down in a nearby chair next to Erza while Jellal went to the nearby kitchenette to brew a kettle of tea.

"When I came inside, I found Juvia lying on the floor with the exact same marks I have. I think it has something to do with my demon slayer magic as I was practicing with it at the time."

"You're not that far off the mark." Porlyusica said as she went to a nearby table to consult one of the many medical texts she kept on hand.

"Your new magic still possesses much of its raw, untapped power. The power to fight a demon is not something to take lightly as it is particularly potent. If you don't learn the ins and outs of it without being careful, it's bound to backfire on you in some way…as you can clearly see."

Gray frowned once more, crossing his arms.

"That doesn't explain why Juvia was affected by it. She's a water mage; she doesn't possess any ice make powers whatsoever." Erza spoke up.

"Use your head Scarlett," Porlyusica replied, "it's a fairly obvious answer. Those two have been living together, correct?"

"Yes." Erza replied.

"Training together?" Porlyusica continued.

"Yes." Gray answered this time.

"Sleeping together?"

"Uhm…well…yes." Gray answered, a blush that rivaled Erza's hair color stained his cheeks. Erza for her part simply gawked at Gray as if it was the most scandalous thing she had ever heard.

"Cross contamination." Porlyusica said, snapping her book shut before turning to another one.

"With two of you having spent all this time together, does it really surprise you that some of your magic would bleed over to her? It shouldn't. And more importantly you should have been aware of that too Gray."

"I had no idea; how could I have possibly known that something like this would happen?" Gray snapped.

Porlyusica paused as a frown of her own settled onto her features. She closed her eyes and exhaled out her nose slowly.

"…Do your markings not remind you of someone?" She asked.

"What?" Gray replied, "Who?"

"Natsu." Porlyusica answered, slowly returning to her work.

"Natsu?" Gray asked, his brow furrowing, "What does he have to do with this?"

"E.N.D." Erza said, her tone weary. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Jellal tense as he poured the tea into their awaiting mugs.

"When Natsu left…" Erza continued, "Before we disbanded, I and a few other girls stayed with Lucy to comfort her. To look after her. Lucy told us that after the battle with Tartarus ended, Natsu had been having nightmares and that he was fidgeting with his right arm most of the time. And then, as we all know, Natsu disappeared one day saying that there was something wrong with him and that he needed to get better."

Erza paused, casting a concerned look out the nearby window, as if she were hoping to spot Natsu somewhere out in the distance.

"…I have reason to believe that a part of E.N.D somehow survived Lucy's purification magic and was trying to take over Natsu once more. He left to prevent himself from losing control and try and extinguish the demon permanently."

Gray paused, balancing out what Erza had said in his mind.

"That makes sense…but what does that have to do with me and Juvia?"

"Demon magic," Porlyusica said, "demon slayer magic, any magic associated with demons and the dark arts, is inherently malignant. It will try to control you, from the inside out, unless _you_ learn to control _it_."

"Are you saying my magic now has a mind of its own?" Gray asked.

"No, it's just natural for a magic of that caliber to have some rather deviant qualities to it. Luckily for your and Juvia's sake, you arrived just as the magic was starting to change. I can prevent it from spreading. In your case, I'll have to teach you how to manage your powers from now on."

"What about Juvia?"

"Unfortunately for her, she is now afflicted with demon slayer magic. It's as much of her now as its part of you." Porlyusica replied, tapping the desired page in her book as the remedy's on the parchment came to life before her.

"So I've cursed her?" Gray said, lowering his head in shame.

"I'm not going to sugar coat it for you; Juvia will have to learn to adjust to her new power same as you have. It won't' be easy for either of you. I can however, retype the demon slayer magic within her so that it's no longer based on you ice magic. I can infuse it with Juvia's water magic instead. From there, you'll have to simply hope for the worst and pray for the best."

"That's not very comforting." Gray replied.

"It's not supposed to be." Porlyusica retorted, "Now shut up and let me work."

Gray sighed heavily and leaned back into his chair, just as Jellal came over with the tea.

"At least the two of you will live, take comfort it that." Jellal said, taking his place next to Erza and gently taking her hand.

"Your bedside manner needs work." Gray quipped.

"But it's true." Erza added, "Be grateful for the fact that we got you two here in time for Porlyusica to help you."

Gray downed his tea in a few short gulps, not caring if it was scorching hot or not, "I am…I'm just worried about her that's all. I'd rather have this happen to me than see her under the knife."

"She'll be fine Gray." Erza assured her quasi brother, "The both of you will. If anyone can pull through this it'll be the two of you. After all, we've been through worse than this before haven't we?"

"You got a point." Gray said before rolling his shoulder, making the joints pop.

He was quiet for a moment as he looked at his arm and curled and uncurled his fingers.

"Speaking of Natsu…have the two of you found out anything about him? Juvia and I try to ask around about him whenever we go out on job and I know Wendy and Lyon are trying to keep tabs for him…but we've all come up empty. I even managed to speak with Mirajane a couple weeks back and even she hasn't heard a thing."

Jellal sighed and shook his head while Erza frowned.

"Seriously, even with what you guys do?" Gray asked.

"We had heard that a wildfire had broken out on mountain to the west of here. I sent two of my teammates to check it out and although they confirmed that it looked like Natsu had been in the area, they'd missed him by a week." Jellal answered.

"Damn…" Gray sighed, "What about the master? Cana said he left in hurry just around the time everyone else did."

"Nothing on him either." Erza replied, the hurt in her voice evident.

"It's as if the two of them completely vanished."

"Looks that way doesn't it?" Gray asked, giving a wry smile and shrug of his shoulders, "Knowing those two, they'll turn up eventually."

Erza chuckled, "I'm sure they will."

The three mages sat in silent for a number of minutes as Porlyusica continued to tend to Juvia. It was an awkward silence and yet, it was comforting being in each other's presence once more.

And then, slowly, Jellal looked from Juvia to Gray and then to Erza. They seemingly shared a silent conversation between the two of them for a number of heartbeats before Jellal addressed Gray.

"Gray, how would you be interested in helping us out with an investigation of ours? Until recently we had been trying to work things out with the Magic Council and all that we were lacking were lacking was a small group of undercover operatives."

"…Undercover?" Gray asked, "What the hell have you guys gotten yourselves into this time?"

XXXX

_**Now, present day…**_

_**Avatar Guild Headquarters, Basement Level…**_

Natsu sighed heavily as he massaged his right temple. Gray's story…it was a lot of information to process and quite frankly it was giving him a damn headache. Wouldn't it have been easier to simply give an abridged version or just jot down some quick notes on some flash cards?

"Would it have killed you guys to have left a note or something like that?" Natsu asked, continuing to look down on Gray and Juvia.

"I mean, you guys should have left something to let anyone that came looking for you know that you were okay and getting help."

"Sorry but the risk was too great. Once Erza and Jellal got us involved, we were committed to the roles we'd be playing." Gray replied.

"Yeah, what was the big deal about all of that?" Natsu asked.

"Well, as I was saying, Jellal and Erza had been working on cracking down on a dark magic guild ever since Fairy Tail had broken up. But they needed to get people on the inside to figure out what was going on before anyone could make a move." Gray said.

"Once Porlyusica had healed Juvia and Gray-sama, the more we began to entertain the idea of helping them." Juvia added.

"Porlyusica-san helped us learn how to control our new powers while Jellal-san and Erza-san saw our transformations as the break they had been looking for."

"So we joined in with the Council and Crime Sorciere and played the parts of two mages who'd gone rogue and we're looking to pledge their allegiance to Zeref and his teachings." Gray finished.

"And that dark guild you mentioned, the one everyone had been looking into, was this one; Avatar?" Natsu asked, pointing to the floor for emphasis.

"That's right." Said Gray, "It hasn't been easy but we've managed to keep those bastards fooled and keep them thinking we're on their side."

"How?" Natsu asked, "I mean, we're Fairy Tail. That usually turns heads wherever we go."

"We had help from the Magic Council with that. Levy-san and Gajeel-san helped create new background stories for us. In fact, Levy-san acted as the Council's insider while we worked for Jellal-san and Erza-san." Juvia replied.

"Levy and Gajeel…" Natsu replied, crossing his arms, "Hmmm, I guess that's why I sensed them heading this way earlier. We'd figured they were coming to make and arrest but had no idea for their reasons behind it."

"They have good reason to be. Avatar is getting ready to make their move and we don't have that much time to stop it." Gray said.

"Yeah what is the big deal with all of that?" Natsu asked, "I mean, what are these guys trying to do?"

Gray and Juvia frowned as they looked to one another and back to Natsu, "You're going to have to hold that thought Natsu. We really need to get out of here and contact Erza and let her know what's going on."

"What about Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Carla?" Natsu asked.

"We'll break them out first and then bolt out of here. If Avatar is sticking to its time table we need to get moving; now." Gray replied.

Natsu paused in thought for only for a moment before he extended his arms and pulled his two comrades up from the floor.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what I did a couple of minutes ago…I…I wasn't me. Just don't pull something like this again, okay?" Natsu said before Gray gave him a good natured swat on the shoulder.

"Hey, I'd be the same way if I were you." Gray said with a smile before giving Natsu's shoulder a firm shake.

"It's really good to see you again Natsu. I'm happy to know you're alright…for the most part anyways."

"Likewise." Juvia added, taking Natsu's hand into her own and giving it a squeeze, "You had us all worried."

"…Thank you. It's good to be back." Natsu smiled softly, before jerking his head to the side.

"C'mon, let's grab the others and get the hell out of here. But then I want an explanation as to what's going on."

"You know it." Gray said as the trio of mages quickly turned back the way Natsu had come and made their way to the torture chamber.

"By the way Natsu…how did you manage to find this place? To find us?" Gray asked.

"Well, after Lucy and I got back together we paid Lyon and Wendy a visit. They told us they hadn't heard from you in a while so we stopped by your place. From there, I had a hunch that Sabretooth would know where you guys were and we worked our way from there."

"Was it really that simple?" Juvia asked.

Natsu averted his eyes upwards and began to sheepishly rub the back of his neck.

"…We also kind of found your diary and read it, Juvia. It tipped us off to what was going on with the two of you."

"EH!?" Juvia gawked while Gray did a double take.

"How much did you read?" Gray asked, mortified.

"…Enough." Natsu said with a slight tint to his cheeks.

"Natsu-san!" Juvia flustered as she hid her face in her hands.

XXXX

They reached the torture chamber with relative ease and apparently, just in the nick of time too.

However, the scene the three mages stumbled upon could only be described as…well, weird. In every possible meaning of the word.

At first they had been alerted to the sound of voices. It sounded like Lucy, Wendy and the Exceed were having a rather one sided argument with the Avatar member by the name of Goumom…or something along that line. Natsu vaguely remembered him as the guy that Tres had shot in the leg but that was about it.

"Let go of Lucy! AGH!" Wendy's voice echoed out.

"Something's happening." Juvia whispered while Gray raised his hand, beckoning for silence.

"EEK!" Came Carla's voice.

"ACK!" Followed Happy's, "This guys can control all of that torture stuff!"

"I…I can't move." Wendy grunted while the sound of metal linking with stone could be heard.

The trio of mages quickly but quietly began to further creep down the stairs while listening to what transpired in the cells.

"The whip…" Goumon said, "Hot wax. Water boarding. Bondage. The soles of your feet. All are forms of torture. Tell me young lady, which one sounds the most appealing to you?"

"Pervert." Lucy bit out, "And would you stop bowing for no apparent reason!"

"Yeah, you're weirding me out!" Happy added.

"_**What in the hell is wrong with these people?"**_ END said.

"_I think we're better off not knowing."_ Natsu added as a shiver ran down his spine.

"Go for the feet Lucy, that doesn't sound so bad!" Happy said.

"Are you nuts!?" Happy retorted.

"Your friend has every reason to worry little feline," Goumon said, "for you see, the soles of the feet are actually the best place to torture someone given how sensitive they are. In this case, all I need to do is cover the young lady's feet in salt water and then release a goat."

"Uhm…what?" Natsu whispered while Gray silenced him once more. They were almost at the bottom.

"As the goat continues to lick your feet," Goumon continued, "its tongue will eventually dry and in turn, begin to strip the flesh away from your soles. And it will never stop as it continues to lick the salt away!"

"…_**Okay, that right there. That's messed up."**_ END said, the disgust evident in his voice.

"Care to see the results of such torture?" Goumon asked while Lucy screamed in protest.

"Leave her alone!" Wendy cried out.

"Unless you want your friend to lose her feet, I suggest you tell me who sent you here and why." Goumon said as he tied Lucy up to one of his many contraptions.

"We came here for Gray and Juvia!" Happy countered the torture mage, "We came to bring them home!"

"Foolish little kitten, I don't know how many times I or the others must say this, but your former friends are one of us now. Accept it."

"No, he's one of us!" Wendy protested, "No matter how many times you say it, Gray and Juvia will always be a part of Fairy Tail!"

Natsu, Gray and Juvia had reached the bottom of the stairs and had begun to creep up on the holding cell. Their presence went unnoticed as the occupants were too focused on trying to fend of Goumon.

"Enough!" Goumon snapped, his words suddenly drawing Lucy taught and spreading her limbs.

"I've heard enough of your pathetic ramblings! Forget torturing your feet," Goumon raged as he produced a large axe, "I'll just split your friend in two instead!"

"NO!" Happy and Carla cried out.

"LUCY!" Wendy screamed.

"To hell if this wench has information on Lord E.N.D or not! If her death silences you then so be it!"

Goumon raised the axe above his head and swung it down. Lucy snapped her eyes shut and braced for the brutal fate that awaited her.

…It was an attack that never came.

"What!?" Goumon cried out in surprise as the axe froze in midair. The ice soon spread to his arms and legs, holding him in place.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Gray said, drawing everyone's attention.

"Gray!?" Goumon gasped, "What is the meaning of this!?"

Gray simply smirked as Natsu stepped into the cell. Goumon blinked twice before his eyes opened in awe and wonder, seemingly oblivious to the glare that Natsu wore on his face.

"Lord E.N.D!" Goumon said cheerily, "I…I can't believe that I am in your presence! You have no idea how long I've wanted to meet you and-"

_**POW!**_

Natsu silenced the torture mage as his right arm snapped up and delivered a haymaker that dislodged Goumon from the ice the bound him and sent him careening into the nearby wall. He was out like a light before he even hit the floor.

Natsu cracked the knuckles in his hand, "Nobody hurts my girl like that and gets away with it."

"NATSU!" Happy, Wendy and Carla gasped in glee, "GRAY! JUVIA!"

Natsu bent down and undid Lucy's bindings. She had arms around him in an instant, a gesture Natsu returned before pulling back.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked.

Lucy's response was a quick kiss on the lips, "Now that you're here, yes."

Gray used his ice magic to freeze the bindings that held up the others and let them fall free. While the Exceed hovered in the air, stretching their wings, Juvia quickly stepped over to Wendy and helped her up. She knelt down, cupping the younger mages face with her hands.

"Wendy-san are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" Juvia asked.

"Juvia…is it really you?" Wendy whispered in shock.

Juvia gave the wind mage a soft but sad smile, "Juvia is so sorry for the things she said earlier. The things she did. The things she let happen to you and the others. Juvia wanted to help but-"

She was cut off when Wendy pulled her into a tight hug as tears began to form in her eyes.

"…I knew you hadn't turned against us…I just knew it." Wendy whispered past her tears.

Juvia returned the hug in earnest.

"Juvia missed you so much. So much." Juvia replied, doing her best to stop her own tears.

"Natsu…what's going on?" Happy asked as the fire mage looked to Gray.

"Hang on," Gray said as he rummaged around in his coat pocket, "I think it's safe to say that our plans have officially been derailed. I need to call this in."

Gray produced a lacrima communicator as his thumb quickly swiped over the touch screen. It traced from a contact named "CODE RED" to the "TALK" contact.

"Code blue here," Gray said, placing the communicator to his ear, "we've got trouble."

Gray paused as the person at the other end of the line replied while the others watched in curiosity.

"No…" He said, "no…yeah…don't ask me, talk to him yourself…yes, him. Yeah."

Gray then tossed the device to Natsu who silently studied the device in his palm.

"Put it to your ear." Gray instructed and Natsu complied.

"Hello?" Natsu asked, arching his eyebrow in a perplexed manner while shrugging to Lucy and the others.

"Natsu…Natsu is that you?" The voice at the other end asked, her astonishment evident.

Natsu froze in place, his eyes widening in realization. He knew that voice. He knew that voice all too well.

"Erza?" Natsu asked.

Erza didn't reply and Natsu furrowed his brow. Had the connection been interrupted or something?

"NATSU DRAGNEEL WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!" Erza raged.

"HIYAA!" Natsu winced, along with everyone else, as he pulled the communicator away from his ear.

No, the connection hadn't been interrupted; Erza was just flat out pissed.

"_**Whoa! Would listen to the pipes on that one!"**_ END cackled in amusement.

"You had a lot of nerve to just disappear like that and now you show up in the middle of our undercover operation! Explain yourself; now!"

"I'm…I'm sorry." Natsu panicked as bullets of sweat rapidly ran down his forehead.

Erza was quiet for a moment before she sighed heavily in relief.

"Honestly…you never cease to amaze me. You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice Natsu; to know that you're alright."

"Likewise Erza." Natsu grinned, "And yeah, sorry about running your whole secret mission but we kind of maid a scene here."

"My, my," Erza quipped, "it does look like the infiltration mission has gone up in flames wouldn't you agree."

Natsu snickered before he let his rational side take over once more.

"Erza," Natsu began, "what the hell is going on here? What's so important about what these Avatar creeps are up to that you had to get Gray and Juvia involved?"

"How much do you know?" Erza asked.

"Gray gave me the intial details but seeing as how we're apparently running short on time, he hasn't told me what all the hype is about." Natsu said, pulling the communicator back just far enough so that everyone could hear what was being said.

"First off, tell me, how did you catch onto all of this?" Erza asked.

"I'm sorry Erza," Wendy spoke up, "Lyon-san and I were worried about Gray and Juvia. We hadn't heard from them for a while and we were afraid something had happened to them. I asked Natsu and Lucy if I could tag along with them for a little bit to make sure everything was alright."

Erza sighed heavily, "I'm sorry for making you worry. We hadn't expected the mission to last this long. Had things been different, I would have sent you a letter but given how sensitive the mission was we had to minimize the chances of information leaking out. Things became a tad bit…complicated."

"Define complicated?" Lucy asked.

"When we first started out, we were investigating Avatar for possible connections to Zeref…" Erza explained.

"Zeref…" Natsu whispered as he glowered at the mention of the dark mage. END didn't say anything but Natsu could feel his other half tense up. He could feel the loathing from the demon echo out through his soul.

"So, all that crap you said about looking for me was just…?" Natsu asked looking to Gray.

"It was mostly part of the ruse," Gray replied, "But at the same time, we were kind of hoping that these guys had an idea as to where you were. But in turn we also learned of something else. Something bigger."

"Operation Purification." Erza said, drawing attention back to her, "Avatar, in hopes of summoning Zeref, intends to annihilate and entire town. Those idiots believe that if they kill every last man, woman and child, the amount of death created will draw Zeref out to them."

"Those bastards." Natsu hissed.

"_**Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me. They honestly think that if they kill that many people, it will be enough to get Zeref's attention. Lunacy; absolute lunacy. Zeref doesn't give a shit if all those people die; he's not interested."**_ END added.

"_Oh yeah, try telling them that."_ Natsu added.

"_**I intend to."**_ END growled.

"No matter what happens, we have to stop them." Erza said.

"If they're such a threat then why didn't you guys just crush them already?" Natsu asked.

"I mean, Gray, Erza; the two of you alone could have stomped these guys out like it was nothing."

"Avatar isn't just a single group Natsu," Erza said, "They're an entire collection of groups. The one you've encountered is the main group, however, there are multiple groups spread out all across the country. Avatar has a small army at their disposal and they aren't afraid to use it."

"If we attacked them then and there it wouldn't have done anything." Gray added, "The Purification Operation would still have been carried out. We couldn't take the risk of that happening so we bid our time until now; when all of Avatar has been gathered together."

"I see your point." Natsu said, "So…what happens now?"

"Avatar has targeted the city of Malva. We need to get there before Avatar does. I'm heading out as we speak, so I suggest you all do the same. We'll rendezvous at Malva and stop Avatar once and for all." Erza said.

"I'm sorry that you all had to get involved in this mess of ours…" she added.

"I have a feeling we would have gotten dragged in one way or another." Lucy sighed, "But regardless, we'll do our best to help you stop Avatar. We'll show them who they're messing with!"

"Right!" Wendy and Carla said.

"Aye!" Chimed in.

"Everyone…" Gray whispered as a small smile formed on his face.

"Listen…I'm sorry…for what I said back there earlier."

"Juvia is too." The water mage added, tacking her place next to Gray.

"As Juvia told Wendy…Juvia…the both of us, didn't mean anything that we said."

"No matter what happens, you all are still out friends; our nakama. And we appreciate you going this far just to help us." Gray added.

"In that case you owe us big time you two," Natsu smirked as he cracked his knuckles, "but that will have to wait. I'm itching to make these Avatar bastards pay for all the trouble they've caused. I don't know about you guys, but right now I'm getting…"

Natsu, along with his comrades-his family-all shared a confident smirk. They knew what was coming next.

"ALL FIRED UP!" The mages of Fairy Tail said in unison.

"Good luck everyone, I'll see you all soon." Erza said, the pride in her voice evident and then the lacrima went silent.

"Alright then, let's get moving. I had a couple carrier leopards waiting for Juvia and I out back but we weren't expecting you all to show up. That means we have to find another ride out of her and fast."

"…I think I might have an answer to that." Natsu smirked as he help up his hands, the tips of his fingers glowing with small orbs of blue flame.

"Oh no not again." Wendy lamented while Natsu let out a hearty cackle.

XXXX

_**Malva City…**_

_**A short time later…**_

The forces of Avatar paused in their trek across the landscape. Their target, the city of Malva-home to over thirty thousand people-was now in their sights and poised for destruction. Destruction that would lead to their ultimate goal…

The summoning of Zeref.

Amongst the excited din that had spread amongst the ranks, Briar and Jerome were having a different conversation.

"Where's Gray and Juvia?" Jerome asked, "What's taking them so long?"

"Back at headquarters with Goumon, handling our prisoners." Briar answered.

"Goumon I can understand but why those two?" Jerome said with a grunt, "Something doesn't feel right."

"Would you relax already, seriously, your paranoia is giving me a headache." Briar replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Take a look around Jerome and tell me what you see. All those who worship Zeref, those who share our beliefs and the creed of Avatar, have gathered here in the thousands for this day. Even if the Magic Council intervened, even if your supposed concerns about Gray and Juvia turned out to be true; there is nothing they could do to stop us. Zeref shall be summoned on this day."

Jerome frowned but nodded in agreement, "I see your point."

"Soon the operation will begin and our prayers shall be answered." D-6 said while Mary clapped her hands in excitement.

"I'm going to see Lord Zeref today!" She all but squealed, "And Lord E.N.D too; could this day not get any better!?"

"Men and women of Avatar!" Arlock's voice called out from the front of his army, "Today, Operation Purification is commenced! The town before is us holds over thirty thousand of the most pure, sinless souls who are unknowing of the honor they shall grant us! With their deaths, Zeref, our lord and master, shall be summoned back to this land once again!"

An elated cry arose from the dark mages as they cheered and hollered in anticipation.

"We offer these thirty thousand souls to the Black Wizard Zeref so that we may usher in a new era! My faithful, wizards of Avatar, show no mercy on Malva city and cleanse it of its inhabitants! Attack!"

"ALL FOR ZEREF!" Came the battle cry of the dark mages as they charged the open ground between them and Malva.

As they drew closer to the front gates, they realized however that their progress was about to be impeded by a small cluster of individuals standing ready at the gates.

"Who are those people!?" Someone asked.

"Does it really matter, they're in our way!" Another responded.

"Crush them, they shall not stand in our way!"

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

_**GROOOAAARRR! **_

The sudden staccato of gun fire followed by the deafening howl of a Gatling gun pierced the air as a barrage of 13mm and 20mm bullets ripped into the front those unfortunate enough to make up the front of the human wave.

From above, a salvo of arrows rained down on their unsuspecting targets while the ground shattered and uprooted itself in certain places.

The mages of Avatar gapped on shock as the front ranks were cut down before they could so much as put up a fight or scream.

"What the hell was that!?" Snapped Briar.

"Look!" Jerome added, has hand snapping forward as the dust began to settle.

Standing at the gate, poised for battle, were the mages of Fairy Tail and Natsu's Enforcers.

"Bring it on!" Natsu challenged, "You want to get into this city you're going to have to get through us first!"

"Weren't we just doing something like this?" Tres asked, blowing the smoke from the barrels of his guns while Natsu used a flame spell the blast away another group of Avatar mages.

"Déjà vu all over again." Diez softly replied.

"Whatever the reason may be, it is Lord END's decree that we are to defend this town and that these dark mages set not one foot beyond this point." Uno said, taking command of the others.

"Diez, deploy a barrier to cover the entire tow; Dos, protect her while casting whatever spells you see fit onto the battlefield. Quataro, tap into the land and manipulate it, give us and the humans on the side of Lord END any advantage that you can; Seis, hang back here and do what you do best."

"Understood." Diez, Dos and Seis replied while Quatro slammed his fists into the ground, channeling his energies throughout the rock and soil.

"As for the rest of you…" Uno said as he drew his falchions while his broadsword and katana levitated off his back from their sheaths.

Then, with quick bursts of shadow a variable arsenal of swords appeared around Uno so that he could draw them at a moment's notice. Two tanto bladed wakizashi's, two Liu Ye Dao sabers, two spatha longswords and two Kriegsmesser's all fanned out behind Uno creating an appearance similar to flared wings.

"…Pick your targets. And happy hunting." Uno finished as he bolted forward with Quatro creating a series of steps with raised rock, allowing him to leap into the air and land amongst the dark mages, his blades quickly becoming stained with blood.

"Bet you I can get more kills than you this time around." Ocho sneered at Tres as she snapped her whip.

"Oh you are so on." Tres replied as he and his fellow summons followed Uno's example and charged their prey.

Meanwhile, Gray and Natsu delivered two simultaneous attacks of fire and ice, further devastating the Avatar ranks.

"You've improved, I can feel it." Natsu grinned, casting a glance at Gray who returned it with a smirk of his own.

"When this is all said and done, why don't you and I have a spar to see just how far I've come along this past year?"

"You know it." Natsu grinned.

"Don't count us out too!" Lucy declared, summoning her Taurus Star Dress while Wendy began to channel the wind to her command as Juvia used her water magic to blast away a nearby group of mages.

"Indeed," Juvia addressed her fellow women, "We'll show these creeps what happens you pick a fight with Fairy Tail!"

"Gray!" Jerome growled, "Juvia! You backstabbing double crossers!"

"What are you fools doing, it is only a small group of them; destroy them!" Briar commanded.

"Lord Jerome, Lady Briar, our rear flank was just decimated!" An Avatar mage cried out, "Our casualties are rising!"

"Impossible…" Jerome whispered, "Has the Magic Council caught up with us already?"

"No…" The subordinate continued, "It's…it's just a woman on horseback!"

A series of pained cries promptly marked Erza's appearance onto the battlefield as she and her horse bashed their way through the dark mages.

"Ha, now that I'm warmed up, it's time we took these guys down!" Natsu proclaimed with a grin, "Man oh man, it feels great fighting side by side with all of you again!"

"_**And with our combine strength-the strength of you and your comrades-these Avatar fools will find that the only ones being purified is them."**_ END added with Natsu sensing the triumphant smirk in his voice.

XXXX

The Avatar mage fell into a pool of his own blood as Uno spun his one Liu Ye Dao around his hand before reaching out and drawing both of his Kriegsmesser's.

All around him the sounds of battle echoed out along with the cries of those unfortunate to be on the receiving end of his fellow Enforcers and the human mages.

Fire and flame billowed out at as his lord used his fire to burn and blast the enemy ranks. Gray simply snapped his fingers and pointed his hands at his opponents and froze them in place. Lucy worked with her summon to decimate those around her while Quatro manipulated the land around her to both protect her from attack and allow her various points to jump, kick and smash her way across the barren earth. Wendy used her magic to funnel her opponents around her in a twister of wind while Nueve watched her back, cheering the other girl on as she did so. Cinco, surprisingly, found himself working with Juvia as the water mage combined her magic's with Cinco's electrical based attacks to devastating effect.

It was a symphony of destruction. An organized chaos that he thrived on.

Here, in the midst of battle, Uno was in his element; it was here that he didn't feel as a mere summon…but as a human once more.

"My word, you are indeed a force to be reckoned with." A voice said, catching Uno's attention. The swordsman simply looked to his right to see Jerome calmly walking towards him, his own sword drawn.

"And you are?" Uno asked.

"I am Jerome; swordsman of Avatar and wielder of the black arts." Jerome replied, "And you?"

"Uno, the first of the Enforcers. Summon to Lord END." Uno said with a bow of his head.

"Lord END?" Jerome said, eyes wide, "So he is here. Tell me, summon of END, why are you attacking us? Why are you aiding those meddlesome mages in thwarting our plans to return Lord Zeref to the world?"

"Lord END does not care that much for Zeref. In fact, your views on the man-all that you have come to believe and expect of him-are so off the mark that it's almost comical." Uno replied.

"…Almost."

"You would dare belittle your own lord and master?" Jerome growled.

"I serve only one. And he is not Zeref." Uno said, leveling his blade with Jerome.

"Then you shall be punished and shown the error of your ways." Jerome said, "And Lord END will see the folly of his mistake and aid us in summoning Zeref."

"I sincerely doubt that." Uno replied and charged Jerome.

Uno swiped out with his Kriegsmesser's while Jerome ducked and dodged the heavy blades. He then pivoted on his foot and lashed out with a kick, knocking Uno back. Uno absorbed the kick and slid backwards, knees bent before he plunged his blades into the ground. The ground erupted as a series of blades shot out of the ground, all aimed at Jerome.

Jerome held his ground and used his own sword to cut Uno's in half before he initiated his own charge.

Jerome and Uno finally clashed blades but much to the latter's surprise, the strikes from Jerome's sword caused his own to fall to pieces, forcing him to quickly draw a new set of swords. But they two were shattered and destroyed.

Uno had just selected his spatha's when Jerome landed a glancing slash on his shoulder. Uno backpedaled but stopped when a slight hissing sound caught his attention. Looking to his shoulder, Uno let out a curios grunt as he watched the sleeve of his coat followed by the skin around his shoulder, wither and rot away before the arm completely detached itself and fell off the joint.

"Oh...bother." Uno said, more perplexed than in pain.

"That certainly is quite the sword you have there." Uno added, looking to Jerome who smirked.

"Surprised, you should be." Jerome said.

"Not particularly." Uno replied but Jerome ignored him.

"I forgot to mention that my moniker is 'Jerome, the sword of darkness'. My blade is fueled by darkness and in turn, it erodes everything it touches."

"Mhmm…" Uno hummed sounding disinterested before craning his head as if her were looking over Jerome's shoulder.

"And pray tell, my lady, what can your sword do?"

As it would turn out, he was.

"My sword?" A voice tittered from behind Jerome. The dark mage had only a moment's notice before his body froze in a blinding burst of pain. A wound suddenly tore forth from his back, forcing the man to his knees before he collapsed in agony.

"My sword can land attacks without ever making contact with my opponent." Erza replied.

Erza stepped over the fallen dark mage as her blade returned to the others suspended behind her, recreating the image of a set of wings.

"Are you alright?" Erza asked, "I have yet to make your acquaintance."

"I'll be fine." Uno replied, snapping his fingers as his blades once again returned to him now back to their original forms. He then picked up his severed arm and reattached it without as much as a grunt.

"As to who I am, I am Uno; summon of END." Uno addressed Erza with a deep bow, "And you must be Erza Scarlett; Lord END speaks highly of you. It is an honor to be in the presence of a knight such as your caliber."

"END…" Erza whispered, "So, you must belong to Natsu. Thank you for aiding us in this battle, your assistance is much appreciated."

"I'm just doing as my lord commands." Uno replied before gesturing to the battlefield.

"Shall we finish up here? I sense this battle is drawing to a close."

XXXX

"How you holding up Lucy!?" Wendy asked as she blew away a dark mage.

"You know me," Lucy smirk, "it'll take more than some stomach pains than to keep me down."

With that, Lucy balled her hand into a fist, spun around and delivered a terrific gut punch to Mary.

"LUCY PUNCH!" Lucy barked as she delivered the one hit wonder attack to her former oppressor's abdomen.

"THAT WAS FOR HURTING MY TUMMY EARLIER!" Lucy snapped hands on her hips as she watched Mary stumble back, clutching her gut.

"Gramps…Gramps…" Mary coughed out before she collapsed to the ground.

"Nice one Lucy!" Wendy cheered.

"It was nothing really," Lucy replied sheepishly, "after all, it would have been a lot worse if you weren't here with us."

Only minutes earlier, Lucy and Taurus had been smashing their way through the Avatar goons as if they were nothing. In conjunction with Ocho, who leveled or alternated the ground before and beneath them, the mage and her spirit were able to rule the day as the dark mages were toppled, hurdled or fell before her.

It was almost too easy.

But then, both she and the bull spirit had been rendered still buy a sudden, terrible bout of stomach pain. Mary, once again, had used her virus magic to immobilize Lucy. As strong as she had been, Lucy had nearly been brought to her knees and was at Mary's mercy…or lack thereof.

However, things had quickly changed when Wendy arrived, seemingly out of nowhere to Lucy's aid. Using her healing magic, Wendy had quickly nullified the virus magic and Lucy was once again in tip top shape.

It had only been the matter of a powered gut punch to finish the battle between Lucy and Mary.

"Nice going Princess!" Ocho called out from nearby, her whip snapping this way and that.

"If you're as strong as that I can only imagine what you're like in bed."

"EXCUSE YOU!?" Lucy gawked while Wendy rapidly changed about fifteen shades of red. Meanwhile Carla and Happy, who had been spectating the whole battle felt their jaws threaten to unhinge.

"Leave her alone Ocho!" Tres called back as he summarily shot a man in the face, "She belongs to Lord END and you know it."

"I know," Ocho swooned as she used her whip to snap another mages neck, "but I there's nothing wrong with admiring…"

Ocho licked her lips in a rather suggestive manner, making Lucy shiver while Wendy did her best to hide behind Nueve who only giggled at the two girl's predicament.

"…and imagining." Ocho finished.

"You're twisted, honestly." Tres added, still firing his guns and alternating between their sword modes.

"You never complain." Ocho quipped, "Besides, you're quite flexible yourself."

"OKAY, MOVING ON!" Lucy blurted out, her face redder than Erza's hair.

"Move onto what?" Tres asked, "This fight is almost over with; look."

At the summons prompting, Lucy finally noticed that indeed, the battle was coming to a close. Many of the Avatar mages lay dead, dying or incapacitated with their numbers having been thinned considerably by the combined efforts of the mages and demons. In fact, nearby, Gray, Juvia and Cinco had combined their magic's to deliver the knockout blow to Briar.

"I…hadn't even noticed." Lucy said in awe.

"Time flies when you're having fun. By the way Ocho, I count at least eighty kills." Tres commented as he gunned down a mage without even looking while relighting his cigarette with the barrel of his gun; the muzzle glowing a dull red.

"Is that your definition of?" Lucy shuddered while Ocho cackled.

"HA! I counted eighty-eighty!" Ocho replied back to Tres.

"What!? Bullshit, you're lying!" Tres snapped.

It was then that Siete landed in their midst, her spear draped across her shoulders. She smirked then, cracking her neck.

"A hundred." Was all she said, prompting Tres and Ocho to gawk at her in disbelief.

"…No fair." Ocho grumbled before the ground shook slightly.

Following the direction of the shock, the assembled mages and demons looked to the far center of the remains of the Avatar army to see Natsu slowly rise from a crouch, his wings wrapping around into their cape form.

The armored demon lord glared at Arlock as the steam profusely hissed from the dark mages mask.

"Your army is in disarray with many of your people dead or dying." Natsu said, addressing the leader of Avatar.

"The town is guarded by one of my best summons; there's no way you're getting into that town."

"How…how can this be?" One of the darks mages trembled in fear.

"We were two thousand strong….and they…a group of eighteen…managed to cause so much damage." Another added.

"Surprised? I'd imagine so." Natsu smirked, "We're Fairy Tail; no enemy is too great, no battle too tough."

Arlock hissed steam again and glowered at Natsu.

"Why?" Arlock hissed, "Why Lord E.N.D? Why would you betray us, you're loyal followers; fellow worshipers of Zeref?"

"You seem to have me confused for something I'm not." Natsu glowered in response.

"I hate that man with every fiber of my being. But I detest you even more because you were stupid, no, crazy enough to believe that hurting all of those innocent people would summon Zeref to you. Let me tell you one thing pal; it won't matter. No matter what you do, Zeref will never acknowledge nor care about who you are or what you're trying to do."

"LIES!" Snapped Arlock, "And for you to speak such lies! You; a creation of Zeref! I see now that you are not the real E.N.D but an imposter; a blasphemous poser!"

Arlock raised his staff at Natsu and fired two powerful bolts of energy from it. Natsu cocked his head to the side, dodging the one bolt while backhanding the other.

"Is that all you've got?" Natsu asked as he charged the dark priest.

"On the contrary…" Arlock quipped as he casted a spell that summoned a magical barrier to block Natsu's progress.

However, said barrier began to crumble when Natsu slammed into it shoulder first. Arlock, recognizing that his spell wouldn't be enough to hold Natsu back, summoned more barriers to impede his progress.

But Natsu was undaunted.

He simply cocked his fist back and punched his way through the remaining obstacles before leaping into the air, his fist engulfed in fire.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's," Natsu growled, "Iron Fist!"

And with those words, Natsu struck down the dark priest as a ball of fire engulfed both him and Natsu. When the smoke cleared, Natsu stood over the dark mage, his glowing eyes narrowed.

"Heh…heheheh…" Arlock wheezed after a slight pause.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked.

"You've…you've lost…imposter…" Arlock coughed, revealing that half of his mask had been shattered in Natsu's attack, thus exposing the burnt flesh beneath. On shaking legs, he stood.

"I burnt my face in preparation for this day…this…this was the price I paid!"

"What are you going on about old man?" Natsu asked, eyes narrowing, but Arlock ignored him.

He cast his hands skywards, as if beckoning to the heavens above, as his voice raised in a fever pitch.

"Now it is time!" Arlock bellowed, "God of War, grant me your powers and annihilate this vermin!"

"_**Uh oh."**_ END said.

"_What? What's wrong?"_ Natsu asked, tensing as the air became saturated with magic. It was like static electricity, he could feel it clinging to his skin.

"_**I think I know what he's doing."**_ END replied.

A dark vortex of clouds swirled to life in the air with a mighty crack of thunder.

"I summon you!" Arlock called out, "Ikusatsunagi!"

"…_**Yep. I knew it."**_ END sighed heavily just as the ground began to tremble while lighting arced in the sky. The magic in the air began to increase to the point that it was becoming overbearing. The vortex in the sky began to spiral rapidly and from within, a shape began to take form.

"What's happening!?" Lucy asked.

"Something big is coming this, I can feel it!" Wendy added.

Mary, despite her pain, managed a deranged cackle, which drew the attention of the mages and Enforcers.

"This is grandfather's ultimate magic…die! All of you will die!" The girl said with a crazed grin.

"Did that guy just…?" Ocho asked, pointing to the sky.

"Looks that way." Tres replied, taking a heavy dreg of his cigarette.

"What? What's happening?" Lucy asked.

"I'd move if I were you." Tres simply said, exhaling smoke out his nose, just as a clawed foot of monstrous proportions descended from within the cloud.

With a terrific shattering of the earth, the foot stomped down onto the awe struck humans below; cratering the earth and send both rock and people flying all directions.

"Master Arlock!" The Avatar mages cried out, "What are you doing!?"

"His own people; he's indiscriminately killing them with that thing!" Wendy gasped.

"Oi!" Natsu snapped, grabbing Arlock by his collar, "What the hell did you just do!?"

"This…this is the purification ritual!" Arlock said with his own deranged smile, "It is necessary that the souls of Zeref's believers be sacrificed! That their belief be sacrificed! I don't give a rat's ass about those fools…so long as the ultimate sacrifice, the soul of one who believes in Zeref, is made; Zeref's appearance will be assured!"

Arlock then began to cackle like the mad man he was.

"NOTHING SHALL STOP IKUSATSUNAGI! NOTHING! HE WON'T STOP UNTIL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU IS DEAD!"

Natsu growled before dropping the priest and turning his attention to the towering behemoth that now overlooked the land. It was, in a very literal sense, a god amongst men.

"Holy shit." Natsu whispered, eyes wide in shock before they narrowed dangerously.

"_**One of the eighteen battle gods of Yakma,"**_ END said in a tone of awe rather than fear, _**"I never thought I'd actually see one of those things. Guess, I can cross this off my bucket list now."**_

"_END snap out of it!" _Natsu hissed, _"What do we do?"_

"_**Simple,"**_ END relied, _**"we take that thing down."**_

"_Is that even possible?"_ Natsu asked.

"_**You doubt yourself?"**_ END asked, his tone amused, _**"You doubt me?"**_

"_No…it's just…do you not see how big that damn thing is!?" _Natsu said, pointing his hand at the god in an exasperated manner.

"_**It's big but it's not invincible. It can be destroyed same as anything else." **_END replied.

The war god began to raise his sword then, slowly at first, before it gained speed and arced high above its head.

"It's attacking!" Natsu gapped.

"_**Enforcer's,"**_ END commanded via his mental link with his summons, _**"gather the others and fall back to a safe distance; on the double you hear me!?"**_

"_Yes my lord!"_ Ocho replied, _"Lucy, Wendy, the rest of you, follow us; now!"_

The order came not a moment too soon as the war god brought his sword down upon the land. A terrific explosion caused the earth to shake violently as if the tectonic plates of the continent were being hammered like an earthquake. A massive, terrific explosion sliced a clean line across the land, killing all who were unfortunately in its path.

The dust quickly settled to reveal a might scar in the earth.

"_**Well…crap. At least we know what we're up against."**_ END mused.

"_END we have to do something!" _Natsu growled.

"_**What would you suggest we do Natsu? Punch it into submission or use harsh language?"**_

"_Cut the shit END, you know what I mean. At this point, I'm willing to go along with anything if it means taking that bastard down!"_

"…_**Anything?"**_ END asked, curios.

"_Yes!"_ Natsu stressed, _"Anything!"_

END was quiet. He was quiet for more than several heartbeats and Natsu could feel the vaguest sense of an idea form in the back of his head, courtesy of END.

"_**Natsu…"**_ END spoke up, _**"How about you let me take the reins on this one?"**_

"_What?"_ Natsu asked, surprised.

"_**Let me out. It'll just be for dealing with Ikusatsunagi and then I'll go back inside your head."**_

"_END…I…don't know about that."_

"_**Natsu…please trust me. I want to do this. I need to do this. There are things on my mind. Things I need to say…that I want everyone to hear. I want to teach these Avatar creeps a lesson they'll never forget."**_

Natsu was quiet and END could sense the hesitation in his counterpart.

"_Do you promise to let me come back?"_ Natsu asked.

"_**I promise. I haven't broken my promises to you before and that will never change so long as I live." **_

Natsu swallowed hard but steeled his nerves; his resolve.

"_Don't go too crazy you hear?"_ Natsu said with a smirk to which END chuckled.

"_**You got it partner, thank you. Now just close your eyes and relax. You'll be back before you know it."**_

Natsu did as he was instructed and as soon as closed his eyes and evened out his breathing, he felt the phantom sensation of a pair of arms gently wrapping around him.

And when Natsu opened his eyes, they were no longer their glowing emerald green but crimson glowing against blackened sclera.

END cracked his neck before doing the same to his knuckles as he flared his wings out.

"You're a big ol' sunovabitch aren't you?" END sneered at the war god, his eyes narrowing.

His maw turned up in a grin then, a glint coming to his eyes.

"I'll admit, you have one hell of a bark…but I think my _bite_ has you beaten in spades."

With that, END flapped his wings once and took to the sky, his sights set on the war god. He entered into a quick climb before snapping his wings down and back and entered into a steep dive. Almost skimming the ground, END flared his wings once more, creating an air brake and then landing in a crouch…

…Atop Ikusatsunagi's monstrous sword.

END wasted no time then as the broke out into a low run, his claws open and at the ready at his sides.

Meanwhile, on the ground below, the mages of Fairy Tail and the Enforcers watched in awe as END single handedly charged the war god; a seemingly impossible feat had Natsu been anyone else.

"Look!" Lucy pointed out, "On the blade!"

"Someone's running up it." Wendy added, completely mystified by the sight.

Erza herself smiled in pride, "Natsu."

"Look at him showing off like that." Tres snickered before cupping his hands to his mouth, "Give 'em hell boss!"

"Knock him down Lord END; show these guys who they're messing with!" Nueve added.

Meanwhile, Arlock watched END's rapid ascent up Ikusatsunagi's sword and arm in amusement. He hissed out a laugh and continued to grin.

"Pathetic." He rasped, "It's pathetic of you to think that you could handle the likes of the war god. A human like you stands no chance whatsoever of bringing down a titan like Ikusatsunagi! Wizards of Avatar, it is time to offer your souls for Zeref!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not human." END called out, having heard Arlock's words.

"To sacrifice the lives of your comrades so needlessly, for such misguided beliefs; it's simply unbelievable."

On the ground, Lucy frowned slightly as END's words echoed out. She heard Natsu's voice speaking out to everyone…but there was something different about it. Somethings underlying it that she couldn't place.

Back with END, the demon leapt into a great bound and scaled one of the might horns that protruded from the war gods head. Ikusatsunagi attempted to swipe at END to dislodge him from its head but the demon was too small and too fast; he easily avoided the gods blundering movements.

"Comrades…friends…both are pathetic, useless notions. They are simply a means to an end; pawns to be used!" Arlock continued with his debate with END.

"WRONG!" END snapped, "No more than a year ago, I was a ruthless killing machine, bound to the twisted will of a madman. However, I was freed from my bonds by my host and the people he called friends; the people who loved and cared about him the most!

I was free to act on my own again, but was still bound to my host. It was through him that I saw the world in a new light…I began to learn…and find myself again. It was through my host that I experienced the joys and love he felt for his comrades; his fellow humans. I saw the memories of the good times they shared and the heartbreak they had endured. Together. As a family. I relearned what it means to trust, to show compassion and most of all appreciate the value of the life around me.

But most of all, I learned to believe in those bonds. I learned to believe that even in darkness, the bonds of friendship can help you weather even the most violent of storms. And I refuse to let you threaten those bonds; to destroy life so needlessly and recklessly."

END leapt into the air then, his fist drawn back and bursting into flame as he delivered a powerful strike down onto Ikusatsunagi, making the god lurch. END leapt once more and delivered another strike, his wings suspending him in the air.

"I may be a demon. I may be a monster. But even I can appreciate the interwoven bonds my host has created with those he cares most about. So…even if it costs me my own life, I will not let those bonds be tarnished or broken! If it means ensuring that he can live on to see life to its fullest, I will gladly defy you, Zeref and anyone else who would threaten to burn his world to a cinder!"

END rose his hand high and began to chant in an ancient tongue that had long since been forgotten; an incantation lost to time. A series of glowing blue runes appeared on the surface of his arm, seemingly carving themselves out of the demons armored skin. A quadruple layered series of magic, glyph filled circles appeared before his closed fist while a larger one appeared before his elbow. Then, with a hiss of oxygen, END's forearm burst into a brilliant blue and white flame.

"Behold the power of the fires of Igneel and curses of END!" the demon roared, "Earth Breaker Judgement Strike and Demolition Fist of the Flame Dragon King; combine!"

END cocked his fist back and launched himself at Ikusatsunagi for a final strike against the god of war.

When his fist connected with the god, all was still for the briefest of moments. It seemingly appeared that the attack had had no effect at all. But then, in a blinding flash of light and fire, the war god was split in two down the middle before erupting in a terrific explosion that simply vaporized the god in an instant.

END came crashing back down to earth, amongst the shattered rock and remains of what had once been a war god, and landed in a crouch. After several moments, END slowly stood back up as he breathed deeply in and out of his nose. He then simply brushed he dust off of his left and right shoulders before grinning triumphantly at the havoc he had caused.

"Ladies and gentlemen," END said to himself, "class…dismissed."

He flapped his wings and dispelled the dust and smoke around him as he turned to face the remaining Avatar mages and their fallen leaders. He then raised his hand in a beckoning motion while grinning sadistically.

"So…" END asked, "Whose next?"

A terrified series of cries broke out amongst the survivors and they dropped their weapons, turned on their heels and began to flee.

"Im…Impossible!" Arlock gasped, "This cannot be!"

"Our two thousand strong army…reduced to nothing…how!" Jerome gawked.

"It's a nightmare…It's a damn nightmare…" Briar whispered in fear.

"Who…what…what the hell are these people?" Mary groaned.

END chuckled and slowly let Natsu's body return to his human form while his presence once more faded back into the confines of Natsu's mind.

"Heheheh, that's what I thought." END snickered, "Alright Natsu, a promise is a promise. Enforcers…you may rest once more. Good work today everyone."

"_Yes my lord."_ Came the collective reply from the summons as they disappeared from the physical realm.

END closed his eyes and when they opened, they were green once more. Natsu blinked twice before looking around in shock at the devastation around him.

"Whoa!" Natsu gapped, "What I miss!?"

"_**Not much."**_ END said simply, _**"Thank you for letting me get some fresh air by the way."**_

"Yeah…" Natsu said, still marveling at what had once been a war god, "sure. No problem."

"Natsu!" Lucy called out as she ran in between the upturned and shattered ground, quickly reaching Natsu.

"Natsu that was amazing! How did you do that!?" Lucy asked as she took Natsu's hands into hers.

"I…I had a little help." Natsu said with a smile as he tapped his forehead.

"You mean END?" Lucy asked. If Natsu's other half had helped him in the fight than that would explain why she noticed something "off" with Natsu earlier, Lucy mused.

"Yep…he…he gave me boost so to speak." Natsu added, a small knowing smile forming on his lips.

Lucy was about to ask what Natsu meant but was cut off when a familiar voice broke the calm.

"PLACE 'EM ALL UNDER ARREST!" The voice called out, "DON'T LET A SINGLE ONE GET AWAY!"

"Is that who I think it is?" Natsu asked as both he and Lucy sweat dropped.

The voice belonged to none other than Gajeel Redfox who was in turn accompanied by his trusted exceed partner Pantherlily and his second in command, Levy McGarden. And fanning out around them was an entire unit of mages from the Magic Council of whom Gajeel and Levy commanded.

They had already nabbed D-6 and Able and were making short work of the remaining dark mages.

"You weren't kidding when you said they had joined the council." Natsu said, brow furrowing as he watched Gajeel…get a bit overzealous in his commands.

"Eheheh…" Lucy rubbed the back of her head, "Uhm, what can I say, they enjoy their work."

"Lu-chan!" Levy's voice called out enthusiastically as the petite mage ran over to Lucy, waving her arm.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy replied with equal enthusiasm and ran up to embrace her best friend in a hug.

"I thought that was you." Levy pulled back with a smile, "What on earthland are you doing all the way out here? I thought you were working for Sorcerer Magazine back in Crocus?"

"Well, we kind of got ourselves involved in a bit of trouble." Lucy replied.

"We?" Levy asked and it was then that she noticed Natsu as he walked over to the two girls.

"Natsu!" Levy gasped in shock before a relieved smile broke out on her face.

"I can't believe it's you, you had us all so worried when you disappeared last year!"

"Sorry about that…I had something personal to attend to and-" Natsu began but was cut short when a block of words crashed down on his head. The hunk of solid script magic had formed the word "IDIOT".

"Don't you ever do something as stupid as that again; you have no idea how much heartache you caused when you just upped and vanished like you did. Honestly Natsu, I should place you under arrest for being an idiot if anything." Levy fumed while Natsu rubbed his head.

"S-Sorry…" Natsu lamented, "Won't happen again."

END chuckled, earning an annoyed tick from Natsu, _**"Quite the spitfire that one."**_

"That makes two of us." Gajeel announced as he and Pantherlily joined Levy.

"Trouble seems to follow you wherever you go flame brain, so why am I not surprised to see you here?"

"Gajeel, I see you're still the same grump that you were last year," Natsu teased with his usual grin, "however, I never thought you'd become a pencil pusher for the Council."

"Oi! I was looking for work when that tree guy-Warrod somethin'-looked me and invited me onto the council." Gajeel grinned.

"_Why do I have the feeling that Warrod-sama was just kidding about offering him a job."_ Lucy thought with a slight hint of unease.

"Speaking of getting onto the Council, I hereby place you under arrest too Salamander for being a smartass, looking threatening, and disappearing without saying goodbye! Oh, and lets tack on some charges for property damage while we're at it!"

"_The hell_/_**The hell?**_" Natsu and END thought in unison.

"Same for you too bunny girl!" Gajeel cackled as he pointed to Lucy, "You're under arrest for showing too much skin with that outfit of yours!"

But with Gajeel being…well, Gajeel, the iron mage didn't stop simply with Natsu and Lucy.

"Your two cats are under arrest for eating too much fish and shapeshifting and for Wendy…I'll…I'll think of something but she's under arrest too!"

Gajeel then directed his attention to Gray and Juvia and his smirk darkened.

"As for the two of you…Gray, Juvia…I think we both know why I should place the both of you under arrest. Don't think that just because we were working this case together doesn't mean you'll be getting off scot-free."

The iron mage, however, was promptly taken down from his high horse when Erza delivered a powerful smack across the back of the head.

"Knock it off Gajeel, the fighting's over and our mission was a success. Avatar has been stopped once and for all." Erza said, surprising the group with her trademark authority.

"I know, I know," Gajeel grumbled, "can't a guy just have some fun around here?"

"Still doesn't change the fact that we got the rest of you dragged into our fight." Gray sighed as he looked to Natsu, Lucy, Wendy and the casts.

"We didn't mean for things to get this far…but you wound up helping us tie things up. We owe you guys for that."

"Aye," Erza replied, "for all of our planning, we never once thought nor considered crossing paths with any of you…we're still a team, even if we've been apart for a year and it was callous not to give you some hints as to our wellbeing."

"Don't worry about it too much." Lucy replied, "We're all here now, safe and sound, and that's all that counts."

"Yeah," Wendy said with a smile, "and to top it off, we even managed to save an entire city from destruction."

"One more win for Fairy Tail." Natsu grinned.

"Juvia never imagined she'd get to fight alongside you all so soon," the water mage smiled in glee, "it was so wonderful!"

"Yeah, as much as I'd hate to admit it, it was pretty sweet getting to fight back to back again with you ash-head." Gray teased while Natsu grinned.

"Oi! You and I still have a spar of our own to settle so let's see whose the back up where we're finished icebox."

Lucy smiled gently as she watched the banter between her fellow mages. She felt a tear come to her eye but she wiped it away just as quickly. She had been alone for a year and now it seemed like fate was slowly guiding everyone back together.

"Victory is ours!" Erza decreed as she raised her sword in triumph, "All of you, join me in a victory cry!"

Fists raised into the air the mages of Fairy Tail let out a collective cry of joy as their voices echoed out and all around…

…and reached the ears of four people who stood atop a nearby rock face that overlooked the now quiet battlefield.

"Well," Minerva Orlando said with a soft smile as she crossed her arms, "looks like they didn't need our help after all."

"Did you ever truly doubt them?" Yukino Aguira added with a titter.

"Oh man, for crying out loud. We got all worked up for a fight and then we see this. That damn Natsu getting us all worried over nothing." Sting Eucliffe grumbled.

"I'm amazed that they took down an army of that size. Their power seems to know no bounds." Rouge Cheney said.

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch, the green little cat added.

"Aw man, Sting-kun didn't get to show off how awesome he is." Lector, Sting's companion, added.

"Still, it's nice to see those guys back together again." Sting sighed with a smile.

"It looks like things are finally starting to get back to the way they were." Yukino added, "What do you guys say to stopping down there and paying them a visit? It'll be nice to catch up for a little bit and we can let them know were close if they needed our help."

"I wouldn't mind." Minerva said, "What about you two?"

"Sounds like, right Lector?" Sting asked as his furry companion jumped up in excitement.

"It'll be nice seeing the other Exceed wouldn't you agree Frosch?" Rogue asked as the cat scurried up onto his shoulders. He didn't notice how his shadow lessened in darkness.

"Fro thinks so too!" The perpetually beaming cat added.

"Cool!" Yukino smiled, "Let's find a way down there and-EEEK!"

The ground suddenly shifted beneath her fit, causing her to stumble. She would have lost her balance complelty had Minerva not caught her.

"You alright?" Minerva asked.

"Yeah…what was that?" Yuknio asked only to squeak again when the ground shifted once more. If felt as if something was moving underground almost in a burrowing manner.

Before the mages could recover, the ground shifted and began to crack and rise before leveling out again. It was apparent to the Sabretooth mages that some sort of animal or creature…or creatures had just passed under their feet.

"What the hell was that?" Sting asked, holding Lector close while helping Rogue balance himself.

"I have no idea, but whatever they were, they were big and…"

The cracking of the rock face alerted the mages that whatever had passed beneath their feet was heading downwards. The rock buckled, popped and even shifted entirely as whatever lay beneath the surface moved with surprising speed and force.

"And they're heading right for the other." Rogue whispered, eyes wide as he spotted small fissures form in the ground; marking their rapid approach to the Fairy Tail mages.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, said Fairy Tail mages were unaware of the rapidly approaching threat.

The mages had entered into conversations of their own, basking in the post victory bliss.

"So what happens now?" Wendy asked.

"Well, since we have found Gray and Juvia, you can send a message back to Lyon to let him know what happened here." Lucy said, tapping her chin in thought.

"From there, I guess we'd have to get you back home to Lamia Scale."

Wendy faltered at hearing this, a deep frown quickly marring her features, "Really? I…I just got to see you two-to see everyone-and now I have to go home?"

Lucy looked to Natsu with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Natsu smirked.

"Or," Lucy continued, "you can explain to Lyon that you'd wish to join us on our trip and you'll return at a later date and-"

"YES PLEASE!" Wendy all but blurted out in excitement, making Natsu and Lucy laugh.

"Well, that solves that." Natsu snickered.

"Trip?" Levy chimed in, "What trip?"

"Before this whole Avatar debacle started, Natsu and I had agreed to head out and just wander the country for a bit. We're not ready to get Fairy Tail back together just yet…but that doesn't mean we're not considering it." Lucy explained.

"Well, in that case, I think you'll be happy to know that all the letters you sent out over the past year reached their intended destination. Everyone from Fairy Tail got your letters Lucy." Levy smiled while Lucy let out a small gasp.

"E-Everyone?" Lucy whispered.

"Everyone." Levy affirmed, reaching into her coat pocket to retrieve her own letter, "Even Gajeel and I. We managed to contact everyone ourselves and we all agreed to a meet up back in Magnolia. The Guild itself isn't getting back together…but we've missed each other terribly."

"Everyone…" Lucy said as tears streamed from her eyes.

"I guess we can alter our travel plans." Natsu said with a smile, wrapping his arm around Lucy's waist, "Hang out with the others for a bit and then be on our way?"

"…Yeah…" Lucy said with a nod, wiping her eyes, "that sounds great."

The sound of cracking rock drew the mages attention, making them pause in their conversations as they looked around curiously.

"What is…that noise?" Pantherlily asked.

The sounds stopped…before an aura of dark magic quickly flooded their senses.

It was the only warning they had.

The ground erupted all around them as eight dark figures leapt out from within the earth and arced into the air before just as quickly descending back down.

Although surprised and dazed by the sudden blasting of rock and haze of dust and dirt, Natsu had caught a glimpse of one of the figures.

The armored skin, lanky body, barred teeth dripping with saliva, clawed hands and the long, spear like tail.

It was a familiar creature. One that Natsu prayed he'd never come across again.

It was Hunter. An entire pack of the fearsome creatures has sprang froth from the earth and they had their sights set on the humans before them.

Zeref had, once again, caught up with Natsu.

"_**A THIRD PACK!" **_END cried out, his surprise and disbelief evident, _**"NATSU IT'S A THIRD PACK; THEY WERE SHADOWING US THIS WHOLE DAMN TIME! ZEREF YOU CONIVING BASTARD!"**_

"HUNTERS!" Natsu cried out, "Everyone look out!"

But the demons attacked before the mages could respond properly. With surprising speed and ease, they knocked down, swatted and evaded the Fairy Tail mages.

One Hunter lunged at Natsu and slashed him across the face and chest with its claws, prompting the fire mage to cry out in pain as the lacerations bled profusely. He was down on the ground, only for a minute as his wounds quickly healed but it was enough time for the Hunter to bypass Natsu…and focus on their real target.

"AGH!" Lucy cried out as the grabbed her right arm and spun her around, jerking the limb up restraining her. The Hunter's free hand went to her throat and clamped down, its sharpened claws digging into her flesh while its tail coiled around her and leveled its tip with her heart.

Lucy free hand frantically grasped at the wrist of the hand clamped down on her throat but the thing did so much as budge as it hissed in her ear.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy managed a strangled gasp, "Natsu!"

"Lucy!?" Natsu said, finally regaining his footing as he cleared the blood out of his eyes, "LUCY!"

The remaining Hunters pulled back to their pack mate and formed a defensive line while the Fairy Tail mages readied their weapons and magic.

"Let her go!" Natsu snapped, "Let her go you bastards!"

The hunter that held Lucy further increased its grip on her throat while its claws caused little pinpricks of blood to bleed out from the soft, tender flesh. The demon sneered then, hissing as it opened its mouth to talk. But rather than the garbled and inhuman voice that Natsu had heard in his first encounter with the first Hunter…a different voice spoke out.

"_Hello Natsu."_ The voice said, _"It's been a while hasn't it?" _

"_**That voice,"**__ END said, __**"It's…"**_

"Zeref." Natsu whispered before his face contorted in a scowl.

"Zeref you bastard let her go!"

"_Why would I do that, Natsu?"_ Zeref said via his proxy, _"After all, you're in no position to make demands."_

"Your fight is with me and me alone. Leave Lucy out of this, this has nothing to do with her!" Natsu barked.

Zeref, on the other hand, chuckled a disturbingly amused chuckle.

"_On the contrary Natsu, Lucy is involved in this as much as you are. You see, she seems to have this strange hold over you…this thing called "love." Love can make us do strange things…it can drive us mad or make us travel to the ends of the earth just to see that person one last time. I equate the latter with you more than the former."_

"What are you getting at?" Natsu growled.

"_The two of you would do anything for each other; even if it cost you your own life. Even if it meant you traveling to another part of the world. I've grown tired of waiting for you to seek me out Natsu. I've grown tired of waiting to settle what we started a year ago…the feud Miss Heartfilia interrupted by sealing you away…if only temporarily. I had dispatched my hunters to find you and I had initially succeeded. I had hoped they would have prompted you to come looking for me. But instead you went looking for her. It was then that I realized that most direct way to get to you…was by threatening the one you hold most dear."_

"You sick son of a bitch." Natsu hissed, "Well, you got your wish. I'm here now…let Lucy go and I'll gladly put by fist through your skull."

Zeref chuckled again, seemingly amused, _"As appealing as that idea is, I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. Knowing you Natsu, you'll grab Miss Heartfilia, turn tail and run. I simply can't allow that. So to ensure that we settle this in the proper fashion, I'll be inviting Miss Heartfilia to come stay with me…that is, until you come to rescue her; which I know you will."_

"Don't you even dare!" Natsu roared, "Don't you dare lay a single finger on her!"

"_That all depends on you Natsu. If you are so eager to save your princess, then be the gallant knight and come slay the monster. With that being said, it's time we take our leave."_

The Hunters began to fade away, seemingly like smoke from a fire and very reminiscent to how Zeref appeared and disappeared after the battle with Tartarus a year earlier.

"NO!" Natsu yelled, army reaching out for Lucy as he darted forward, "STOP!"

"_Head west Natsu."_ Zeref said, "_Head west until you reach the continent of Alakitasia; until you reach the Albareth Empire. Come to the capital city of Vistarion. It shall be there where you will find both me and Miss Heartfilia…and someone else if you are lucky."_

Zeref chuckled again as quickly, one by one, the Hunters disappeared to return to their master.

"_See you soon, Natsu. I'll…we'll be waiting."_

"NATSU!" Lucy screamed, her eyes wide in terror as she too reached out for Natsu.

"LUCY!"

And then they were gone.

Natsu slid to a halt, lost his footing and fell to his knees while bracing his hands on the ground.

All was still and no one dared to move, complelty shocked by what had just transpired.

Natsu's breathing was deep and shallow as his body quivered with rage. The air around his body began to rapidly warm to the point that it was scorching while the air began to waver. Natsu's lips curled back in a feral snarl while a deep growl rose from within his chest. His fingers dug into the earth, leaving deep gashes before Natsu's head snapped back-his back arching-while his arms flared at his sides.

His mouth opened as a demonic roar of fury pierced the air. His eyes glowed wildly, rapidly switching from green to red.

And when he spoke, his voice was anything but human.

"**ZEEEERRREEEFFFF!" **

XXXX

A/N: And that does if for this one folks! The END is upon us for this story!

Lucy has been captured by Zeref in a ploy to settle things between him and Natsu. This, naturally, has sent Natsu into a blinding fit of rage and has set the stage for the final fight between Zeref and END.

To quote Optimus Prime, "One shall stand and one shall fall." But who remains standing when the dust settles…well, you'll just have to tune in next time to see how that all plays out. Expect the ultimate brawl between our beloved fire mage and his darker paramour.

I know I was very late in getting this chapter out to you guys and no matter how many times I say it; I'm sorry for the wait.

I am, and shall ever be, grateful to all of you who have waited patiently for this chapter and for being patient with me. I wish there was more I could do to express my gratitude but sadly, I can only give you these messages and try to convey my thoughts.

Like I said, even though my final exams are this week, I am going to start working on the next chapter for as soon as I can and I should have it out and ready before or after Christmas. I'll definitely have it out before New Year's since I intend to finish off the year with this story ending on a high note.

Next time…_**Alternate END Chapter 7: Final END**_

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!


	12. Alt END Chapter 7: Final END

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

I'm terribly sorry for the delay with the final chapter but as usual, I was busy with other things concerning the holidays, New Year's and work…_so much work_. Extra days equals extra hours which equals a better pay check for me. I tried to write, I really did, but I was, quite frankly, tired and hadn't the time or effort to sit down with my computer. But, now that things have evened out for the most part, I can finish things up with this story.

I am back at college now and have settled back into my routine which in turn should mean a return to my usual writing schedule.

With that being said, let's get to the main reason you're here.

When I started "When the END comes…" I did so on a whim. With all the 'Natsu is END theories' going around I thought I'd toss my hat into the ring and try something different. Then the big reveals came with the manga and after writing the initial five chapters, I found myself wanting to write more.

So, I started jotting down a tie in/alternate take to the original chapters and tried to keep in line with recent manga events.

And here we are, 161 thousand plus words, 257 favorites, 267 likes, 12 chapters and 181 reviews later, I find myself in disbelief that I've made it this far. Seriously, I never thought people would like my writing or give it so much praise.

But here we are, the last chapter. I've had a lot of fun working on this and I'm glad so many of you have been having just as much-if not more-fun with this story.

This story has turned into something bigger than I had ever expected and I have no one to thank but you, the readers of this story, for supporting me and my writing throughout all the delays, twists, turns and general insanity. You've held out to the end. I hope this chapter will seem like a fitting reward for your patience.

On a quick side note, "The Headless Horseman" belongs to Washington Irving's _"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". _I'm merely using him as a character reference; nothing more or less.

So, before we proceed to the end, here is a shout out to all who have reviewed…to those who made it to the end of the ride:

_**Guest: **_Hello and welcome to the story, glad you are enjoying things so far!

_**Flamefairyx777: **_Hello and welcome back! Sorry for the long wait but here we are at the end! I hope you enjoy the ending to this story as everything before this chapter has been leading to it!

_**Johnny Spectre: **_Hey dude, welcome back! Yep, Albareth will soon feel END's wrath. Oh, I won't say he's going so far as to turn the country into a wasteland but the castle will need some remodeling by the time he's through. Thank you for all your support with this story by the way, I have really appreciated all your input and for taking time to read this story. I hope the ending is a satisfying one for you!

_**Ketsueki Ryuo: **_Hello and welcome to the story! I am very happy to hear that you have enjoyed this story and I hope you enjoy the ending just as much. Aw, thank you very much for the compliment! Thank you for reading my story!

_**Rose Tiger: **_Hello and welcome back! Here we are at the end; I just want to thank you quickly for being so supportive with your input throughout this the course of this story, it has meant a lot to me. Don't worry, Lucy shall be reunited with Natsu soon enough...but will it be before or after he confronts Zeref? Read on to find out!

_**Jokerboy217: **_Hello, glad you liked the chapter!

_**AngelEmCuti: **_Hello and welcome back! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, it was a lot of fun to write. We are now at the final chapter; the final confrontation between Natsu and Zeref. Who will win? Who will die? Read on to find out!

_**Guest: **_Hello and welcome to the story! I am glad you have enjoyed things so far. I may or may not kill someone off with this chapter but as to who…well, you'll have to see for yourself. And yep, I'm a sap for NaLu, guilty as charged.

_**Zivyx: **_Hello and welcome back! You bet Natsu is furious; no one hurts his girl and gets away with it!

_**Serenafullbuster: **_Hello and welcome back! How are you!? I'm so sorry for taking this long to get back to you; even though I've been on vacation I've been super busy with my job and its left me really tired and with no motivation to write. But here I am, almost ready for a new semester at college and back in the writing game. How has school been, are you keeping up with your studies? Did you have a good Christmas and New Year's? Thank you very much for the compliment. I really appreciate it. And thank you for supporting me and my writing, it means the world to me that you've given me your time and input with all of this. Thank you once again and enjoy the final chapter to this story!

_**Moon Stone Tiger Lily: **_Hello and welcome to the story. Thank you for pointing that mistake out to me, I'll go back and try to see if I can fix it at a later date. I'm a fast writer so this happens all the time believe it or not.

_**TheRangerBoy: **_Hello and welcome to the story! Now that you mention it, that line does sound kind of weird but at the time I didn't notice it. Thanks for pointing it out to me. But at the same time, aren't you the pervy one here for pointing it out in the first place?

_**Sarjun18: **_Hello, glad you liked the chapter!

_**Guest:**_ Hello and welcome to the story/the final chapter! Here's the final update!

So, now that is done, let's proceed…to the final chapter of; _When the E.N.D comes…_

XXXX

Arc 2: Alternate END…

XXXX

CHAPTER 7: Final END

XXXX

_**A long time ago, in a simple little home….**_

"_Zeref-nii, what are you reading?" _

"_Oh! Natsu, you startled me. What are you doing up so late; didn't mother put you to bed already?"_

"_I couldn't sleep."_

"_Did you have that bad dream again? The one about the monsters?"_

"_Yeah…I got scared. Mama and Papa are already asleep and I saw the light on in your room." _

"_So you came to me instead? Alright, hop into bed and I'll stay with you until you fall asleep again."_

"_Yay!" _

"_Hey, easy now my ribs are still sore from all your rough housing."_

"_Sorry…so what are you reading?"_

"_It's a spell book. One that only the best mages are allowed to read."_

"_Spell book? Like magic!? That's so cool Zeref-nii! You must be really strong and smart if those old guys are letting you read it."_

"_Heh, I'm not all that strong Natsu, but I will not argue the smart part."_

"_You're super, super smart! You know everything Zeref-nii!" _

"_Not everything Natsu. I don't think even if I lived to be a hundred that I would truly learn all that this world has to offer."_

"_Well, to me you know everything and that's good enough!"_

"_Well, when you put it like that, then that's my answer too. My little brother says I know everything and therefore; I do!"_

"_Hahaha…Zeref-nii?"_

"_Yes Natsu?"_

"_When I become a grown up like you, will you teach me how to use magic?"_

"_Of course Natsu; everything that I know and more."_

"_Cool…Zeref-nii, we'll always be together right?"_

"…_From here until the end of time."_

"_Promise?"_

"_I promise."_

"…_I love you Zeref-nii."_

"_I love you too Natsu."_

_I love you Zeref-nii._

_Love._

_Zeref._

_More like loathe. Hate even. _

_I hate you Zeref. With every fiber of my being, I have come to hate you. You are no longer the kind, caring soul who I remember. You are now, like me, a monster. _

_I hate you for what you've become. I hate you for what you've done to the world, to innocent people, in your very, very long life. You created curses that claimed the lives of many, you defied the gods and created a living hell for yourself. You brought me back from the dead and turned me into a monster just to fulfil your own selfish desires. _

_Yeah…I think hate pretty much sums up how I feel towards you._

_I should have stayed dead and buried Zeref. You should have left me be…and yet, here we are four hundred years later, preparing to go at each other's throats. _

_Four hundred years is indeed a long time. You could have done the world plenty of good in that time…but instead, you stirred and nurtured a blood feud between you and me. _

_And now you've gone and dragged the woman I love into this mess. You've taken my Lucy from me and that is the worst possible thing you could have done. _

_You want a death battle? Fine. _

_I'll play your game._

_This final battle of ours has been a long time coming Zeref. And when the dust settles, I know for a fact that both you and will be embracing oblivion. _

_But it will be on my terms…not yours._

XXXX

"**ZEEEERRREEEFFFF!"**

Natsu's roar of fury was deafening as it echoed out across the once silent battlefield.

The rage that coursed through his veins could be felt as if it were the heat of his magic radiating off of him. The rage reached the stunned mages of Fairy Tail and made them take an involuntary, cautious step back from their comrade; their once triumphant mood and sense of victory having quickly been doused by the Hunter's surprise attack and Lucy's capture.

Natsu's hands clenched into fists and he pounded them into the earth, sending fragments into the air and cratering the stone of the ground.

"**Damn you!"** Natsu roared, **"Damn you, you son of a bitch!"**

His voice, still sounded anything but human. It was combination of his voice and that of his other half. And by the sounds of his voice, his other half was the one who more control over Natsu than he did at the moment.

Natsu, his hands still embedded in the rock, began to grind his knuckles while his shoulders heaved with ragged breathes.

"N-Natsu?" Wendy asked from behind Gajeel, who had moved in front of her to put distance between her and Natsu…should the need arise.

His sudden outburst had frightened her, had frightened the others, and given her memories of the previous year's encounter with E.N.D...She was terrified of Natsu losing control and the monster that resided in his mind breaking out.

"Natsu…" Wendy persisted, "What's wrong?"

Natsu was silent for a minute before he rose up onto his knees as he looked over his shoulder, his countenance twisted into a deep scowl. His eyes flickered from green to red and then back to green and red once more.

"**What's wrong?"** Natsu hissed, **"What's wrong is that Zeref got that drop on us! He's kidnapped Lucy and taken her somewhere far from here in an attempt to draw me out!"**

Natsu turned so that he faced the others and began to pace back and forth, running his hand frantically through his hair.

"**I should have known…I should've known that it couldn't have been that easy! God damn it!" **

"Natsu," Gray began, stepping forward, "calm down. What's going on? What was Zeref talking about?"

Natsu paused and ran his hand down his face before crossing his arms. He let out a resentful sigh and looked to the sky, as if searching for answers to his current predicament…and finding nothing.

"You all remember how E.N.D was created to kill Zeref?" Natsu asked, his voice seemingly having returned to normal.

"That only E.N.D could kill him and that if Zeref died, so would E.N.D? So would I?"

The unnerved and pained looks he received from the others, their reflection of their previous encounter with the dark mage and demon, were his answers.

"Lucy thwarted that plan last year. But a part of E.N.D survived in me, despite what Lucy had done and Zeref knew that. So he waited, knowing that E.N.D-that I-would return to seek him out and finish what we started. But it appears that Zeref has grown impatient with waiting for his death wish and in order to get me to come to him…he's kidnapped Lucy in order for me to get my ass in gear. He knows I'd do anything to protect her; that I'd do anything to get her back."

Natsu turned to face his assembled nakama and let his arms fall to his sides, a look of regret now on his face.

"He's using her as bait to get me to meet Zeref for our final battle."

"What do you intend to do?" Erza asked, already knowing the answer to her question. However, she did not want to hear it from Natsu.

"…I think we both know the answer to that." Natsu said, his lips twitching up into a sardonic smirk.

"I'm going to go after Lucy. I'm going to save her…and put a stop to Zeref once and for all."

"…No…" Levy said, eyes wide in both fear and understanding of Natsu's words, "Natsu, no!"

"Salamander are you crazy!?" Gajeel barked, "Did you not here what you just told us!? Zeref's calling you out into a suicide run for crying out loud!"

"I know." Natsu lamented.

"Then why!?" Levy asked, her eyes desperate in an unspoken plea for Natsu to truly consider what he was saying.

"Because it has to be me." Natsu said, "I have to do this. Everything that just happened was because of me; because I…because E.N.D didn't kill Zeref a year ago! It's up to me to finish this fight once and for all; it's up to me to make sure Zeref never hurts anyone ever again!"

Natsu's shoulders had gone tense in the course of his heated response but he suddenly exhaled and let his body slump forward slightly. His eyes, which were focused on the ground, were filled with resentment, pain and regret.

"It has to be me…I have to do this." Natsu frowned, "Alone."

"No." Gray said, his tone firm, "No!"

He stepped forward and grabbed Natsu by his shoulders with a firm shake.

"Not this time Natsu!" Gray barked, "You can't just keep running off like some cowboy and think you're invincible! You may have a demon in you but you're still human; just like the rest of us!"

Natsu tensed at Gray's words and kept his eyes focused on the ground.

"I now you love Lucy. I know that she means more to you than life itself. But what good would that love for her be-that life-if you throw it away? Even if you managed to save her, she'd never forgive you if you wasted your life like this."

Gray pulled back from Natsu and gestured to the others.

"Like I said, you love Lucy; we know that. But we love her too…she's our friend too. And we want to get her back just as badly as you do. You don't have to do this alone Natsu, you have us. Let us help you. Let us fight beside you and rescue Lucy. Forget about Zeref. We'll handle him when Lucy is safe with us; we'll handle him together."

Natsu was silent, even as he straightened out his back and even out his shoulders. He still kept his head bent, his fringe shadowing his eyes. A hopeful smile had formed on Gray's lips as the ice mage believed that he had struck a chord within Natsu.

That smile all but died when Natsu's eyes suddenly snapped open; they were now a blazing red.

Before Gray or the others could so much gasp in surprise, the air became heavy with dark magic. The magic was so powerful, so overwhelming a sensation, that it brought the mages to their knees as they gasped and panted for breathe. Just as E.N.D had done a year before.

"**No Gray."** Natsu…no…END spoke, "**You will not be joining me. You will not interfere. I'm doing this one my own. Like my other half said…this is my fight and my fight alone."**

END turned on his heel and began to walk away, his magical aura keeping the others suppressed and on the ground. They could only watch as END summoned a Hell Bike and mounted it, revving the engine as he did so.

He looked back to the mages with a look of regret.

"**My aura will keep you down until I am long gone from this battlefield. Do not try to follow me…for by the time you catch up, it will be far too late for you to do anything. This is where we part ways mages of Fairy Tail…it was an honor fighting beside you…even if it was for a fleeting moment."**

Gray let out a strained grunt as he reached his arm to END, "No…stop!"

"**Goodbye…everyone. Go back to your home, to the others who await your return. Go home…and pray for a miracle." **END said, revving the engine one more time before he sped off in the blink of an eye.

"NATSU!" The Fairy Tail mages cried out, but END would never hear their desperate cry. He would be long gone by the time their voices drifted and died in the wind.

The Hell Bike screamed across the land with the wail of a banshee. END, all the while, kept his eyes forward and guided his bike over the terrain.

He had one destination in mind and one destination alone.

He would head west, just as Zeref instructed, to the Albareth Empire where Lucy was being held; where Zeref awaited their final duel.

He would head west…to face his destiny once and for all.

XXXX

_**Seven days later…**_

Despite the paranormal speed that the Hell Bike granted him, it took both Natsu and END five days to cross the sea and reach the continent of Alakitasia; to reach the Albareth Empire. When he made landfall, it took two days of constant travel and hiding his presence to finally reach the outskirts of the Albareth's capital; Vistarion.

As Natsu looked out onto the city from his vantage point atop a hill, he could sense Zeref's presence. It permeated the land and made his skin crawl. Others, like the normal people who lived out their day to day lives in the city, were unable to sense the dark magic that enveloped the land…like a shroud. In fact, Natsu was pretty sure that these people had no idea that one of the most powerful and dangerous mage's to ever live, walked amongst them.

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he focused on the castle that dominated the center of the city. Many of the buildings were grand if not spectacular works of architecture. But the castle…the castle was on another level entirely. In fact, the building could have constituted as a city unto itself. With its massive towers, looming spires and the sheer scale, it was an imposing sight to behold.

And amongst Zeref's ever present aura, Natsu could sense a light in the darkness.

He could sense Lucy. She was alive-thank God-but was somewhere in the castle. Natsu was sure that he'd get a better lock onto her once he was inside the castle…provided he didn't meet much resistance or run into Zeref first.

That would turn into a slug fest real quick, real fast.

Natsu inhaled deeply and put his hands onto his hips. He had come this far…now he just needed to figure out what the hell he was going to do now.

"So END…what do we do now?" Natsu said aloud.

"…" The demon didn't respond.

He had been quiet, ever since he had handed control back to Natsu after they were far away from the other Fairy Tail mages. Natsu had been livid when END had explained what had happened, even more so at the fact that END had taken control of his body without permission.

All the demon had said before clamming up was to continue to head west until they reached the opposite continent. From there, Natsu was to find his way to the Empires capital.

It wasn't like the demon to remain quiet this long. If Natsu was being honest, he was a bit bothered by this fact.

"END?" Natsu asked, "Are you okay?"

"…_**Zeref is in that castle Natsu."**_ END spoke up, _**"He's in there…waiting for us. I can sense him."**_

Natsu's jaw tensed, "And he has Lucy too…and who knows what else in there."

"_**I can only imagine."**_ END sighed, _**"This is it Natsu…this is what everything this past year has been leading up to. Our final fight with Zeref."**_

"Yeah…" Natsu frowned, "I…I had hoped to have more time to prepare, you know? To spend more time with the others…with Happy…with Lucy. There's so much I wanted to say to her and now…now I find myself saving her just to say goodbye. Ain't that messed up?"

"_**You're not going to die here Natsu." **_END said.

Natsu gave a humorless chuckle and shook his head, "That's real funny END. You and I both know we're going to die here. That this is the end."

Natsu looked the castle and narrowed his eyes.

"When we find Zeref, or if he finds us first, you and I both know that when all is said and done that if Zeref dies; we both die."

"_**It won't come to that."**_ END said, his tone resolute.

"Like you can promise that." Natsu said, his voice filled with spite.

"_**I can…because I promised myself that I would do all that I can to look out for you. To make you strong; to keep you safe until…"**_

END paused mid-sentence and let his voice trail off.

"Until what END?" Natsu asked but received no response.

Natsu got the distinct impression of guilt and uncomfortableness from the demon. As if he had been hiding something and only now was willing to tell the truth.

"END, until what?" He pressed.

"…_**Until it was time for me to tell you the truth." **_END said, his voice filled with resignation.

"What?" Natsu asked as a sudden chill ran up his spine.

"END, what are you talking about? What truth; what have you been hiding from me!?"

"_**I…I…"**_ END sighed heavily, _**"Natsu…there's something you need to know about my relation to Zeref…our relation to Zeref."**_

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked, "END, you're not making sense."

"_**Natsu…Zeref…Zeref's full name is Zeref Dragneel. He is my, no, our brother."**_ Natsu said, _**"He's our older brother Natsu."**_

"…What?" Natsu said, his voice having instantly gone hoarse while his body went rigid.

"_**Natsu…"**_ END said.

"No…no! It's not possible; it's not true!" Natsu snapped.

"_**Natsu…"**_ END said again, trying to keep Natsu calm even though his voice was heavy with regret.

"You're lying! You're lying; it's not true!" Natsu raged, his body shaking in rage.

"_**I'm sorry Natsu…but it is."**_END lamented.

"No…" Natsu whispered as he clutched his head, his mind pained with confusion and fear. Hot tears welled up in his eyes.

"No…It can't be true. END, I…I don't understand." Natsu choked out.

"_**I know Natsu. I know this is…hard for you to understand. And I owe it to you to tell you the truth." **_END said as Natsu fell to his knees, still clutching his head. His body trembled in panic, fear and apprehension.

"_**I'll tell you all that I remember. I can't tell you everything, however. My own memories are fragmented. Distorted. I only remember the things that mattered. But it's the truth none the less.**_

_**Zeref and I were born a long time ago. Four hundred years to be exact. We were born in the country of Mildian and lived with our mother and father. Mother and father were gifted mages, as was Zeref. He exceled in everything he did and he was hailed as a child prodigy. To me, he was simply the smartest guy I knew. I loved him, as did mother and father, and he loved us. We were happy.**_

_**But then…everything changed.**_

_**One day a dragon attacked and…killed mother, father and myself. I'm…we're a resurrected corpse Natsu."**_

END felt Natsu falter and nearly collapse to the ground as his body continued to tremble. Still, he continued the tale of his life story.

"_**Zeref was heartbroken by the loss of our family. He was heartbroken by our death. In his despair, Zeref went further into studying magic and eventually began to delve into black magic. He became obsessed with bringing us back to life; to regain all that he had lost. **_

_**But he delved too deep. He lost control of his power and killed everyone in our home city. He had defied the gods in his pursuit of trying to bring back the dead and he was cursed for his audacity.**_

_**Ankhserum's Wrath or The Curse of Ankhserum as they called it, if I remember correctly. **_

_**Whoever is touched by the curse is forced to live an immortal existence for all time. The more the cursed person loves someone, loves life to be exact, the more life they take in turn. Basically if the cursed person expresses any form of love for life, they kill that life. The only way to prevent the curse from acting is simply by not caring about life. **_

_**The curse drove Zeref insane but at the same time, it allowed him the time to be able to perfect his magic. Zeref searched endlessly for ways to die, to atone for his sins, and created the demons known as the Etherious. I believe you've faced them before. Anyway, Zeref created the Etherious as a means kill him…but they failed. And so, in one last bid, Zeref poured all his effort into creating the perfect demon to kill him…he succeeded, while resurrecting us at the same time. **_

_**E.N.D….Etherious Natsu Dragneel. **_

_**And we were indeed strong. Terribly strong. To further enhance my power, Zeref granted us the power to create the Enforcers. He allowed us to rampage and destroy to test our powers. He split my personality in two and created the homicidal, violent half you initially encountered. I…I was locked away in my own mind, forced to watch the mayhem my brother created unfold."**_

END paused as he collected his thoughts while reminiscing at the same time.

"No…no END, that can't be right." Natsu whispered past clenched teeth.

"If…If all of that is true then why couldn't Igneel have killed us!? I heard that he couldn't destroy END and yet he just as easily could have!

"…_**Igneel could've killed us…he could've killed you at any given time, Natsu. But he didn't. He didn't because he loved you. He loved you so much." **_

Natsu froze, his voice catching in his throat.

"_**Do you remember that book Mard Geer used to awaken me? The book of E.N.D? Mard Geer was actually the one who created Tartarus; not us. He found my book and made it sound as if we made him create the demons of Tartarus. He was their true creator all along."**_

"No!" Natsu barked, "If that were true then that would mean I was responsible for hurting my friends! I was responsible for destroying our guild! I refuse to believe that!"

"_**You were always stubborn…I was always stubborn. In fact I was so stubborn that I refused to learn how to read or write. But…Zeref saw to it that I learned. So he asked a friend."**_

"A friend?" Natsu asked.

"_**Igneel."**_ END said, _**"Zeref and Igneel crossed paths one day and they began to exchange their views on the world. Igneel told Zeref of his love for humans and how would love to take us under his wing and raise us as dragon slayers. The other dragons, Metalicna, Grandeeney, Skiadrum, and Weisslogia, also had similar ideas; of raising slayers of their own. **_

_**But…there was more to it than that.**_

_**The dragons were planning to use their "Dragon Soul Magic" in order to travel through time and reach the future. Once there, you and the other dragon slayers would use your dragon slayer magic to defeat Aconologia."**_

"Why…why would the dragons need to travel to the future?" Natsu asked.

"_**The dragons had lost much of their power to Acnologia. They were weak. And so they gathered as much etherion as could sustain-to break their curse-and chose four other children to be dragon slayers. I believe you know them."**_

Natsu was quiet for a minute before the gears began turning in his head. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"No…" Natsu whispered.

"_**Yes Natsu. Your friends, Gajeel, Wendy, Sting and Rogue were those four children. We all lived four hundred years ago. But defeating Acnologia didn't matter to Zeref. He just needed us to become strong enough to kill him when the time came. **_

_**And so Zeref utilized the power of the Eclipse Gate to manipulate the powers of time. He accomplished this with the assistance of a Celestial Spirit Mage named Anna. Anna was the one who sent us all forward in time despite the risks of it being hit or miss. **_

_**Before we leapt through time, Zeref sealed me away…and awoke you in my stead. You, Natsu, are all that remains of what was once good in me. You developed on your own. You made friends on your own. You created a life for yourself while I remained locked away. **_

_**It's at this point where my memories are starting to…splinter. I'm here…we're all here, which means Anna's plan succeeded. I vaguely remember a woman named Layla being involved but after that...I fell into a deep sleep and let my memories drift. **_

_**I drifted…until that fateful day a year ago. **_

_**And the rest they say…is history."**_

Natsu's breathing was heavy as he tried to process all that END had just told him. He didn't want to believe it. He refused to believe it. But in the back of his mind and deep in his heart…he knew. He knew that all that END had said was true.

"_**Zeref has waited all this time for us Natsu…now it's time for us to settle things with him."**_

"I…I don't…I can't…" Natsu said.

"_**Natsu, we have to face Zeref one last time. We have to do this. I know what I told you was a lot to take in…and I'm sorry I'm telling you the truth only now."**_

"Why?" Natsu asked, "Why didn't you tell me all of this before?"

"_**Because I knew how you would react if I told you."**_ END replied, _**"Because I didn't know how to tell you. Because…I was afraid to tell you, Natsu. I was afraid of this moment in time."**_

"How do you think I feel!? Natsu snapped.

"You just told me that I'm over four hundred years old! That my brother is the ultimate dark mage and there's still the fact that if Zeref dies, I die too!"

Natsu punched the ground in frustration and anger with enough force to make it crack.

"I'll not only be killing my own blood but I'll be leaving my friends behind too! I'll be leaving Lucy behind; again! I can't do that END…not again…not again."

Natsu continued to grind his knuckles into the dirt while he felt his teeth begin to grind.

"So tell me END," Natsu bit out, "why exactly are you so afraid of me knowing the truth."

"…_**I was afraid to tell you the truth,"**_ END began, _**"because I knew that once I did, it would mean that you and I would have to go our separate ways."**_

"What?" Natsu asked, only to lurch back as a splitting pain seared his mind. Natsu clutched his head, fingers digging into his scalp.

"AGH!" Natsu screamed in pain.

"_**I'm sorry for what I'm about to do Natsu. I really am."**_ END said as his presence in Natsu's mind became more prominent.

"_**But it's the only way I can keep you safe."**_

Natsu groaned and gritted his teeth as he felt something akin to hands forcefully pulling his conscious mind away from reality. It was similar to how END had taken hold of his body days earlier when they had fought Avatar, only this time it wasn't an easy transition. It wasn't with consent. It was oppressive, forceful. And Natsu couldn't fight it.

"END…stop!" Natsu groaned.

"_**It has to be this way Natsu."**_ END lamented, _**"I'm sorry. I really am. But I will not let Zeref have you; I will not let him dictate your destiny!"**_

"No…stop…stop, END!" Natsu cried out before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body went limp.

His eyes slowly closed as his breathing evened out. When his eyes opened a moment later, they had turned to black and burning crimson. In a quick burst of flame and burning embers, Natsu's body had changed to its Etherious form.

"I'm sorry." END said, now in control of Natsu's body. His voice, he noticed was still the strange combination of his voice and Natsu's.

END inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled out his mouth, his maw cracking open slightly in the process. He then cracked his neck before flexing his shoulders and doing the same to his knuckles.

"Alright…" END said, "Let's do this."

He crossed his arms like an "X" and let his wings conform to his body, wrapping around him and granting him his armored form. His body then became alight in fire, a brilliant blue and white flame.

"Final Curse," END said, "Dark Matter."

The flame that had engulfed END slowly turned to a black that was darker than the night itself. Then, the flame began to dissipate and withdraw inside END, similar to black hole that drew in anything within its grasp. When the flames finally disappeared into Natsu's chest, it signaled the end to his final transformation.

His ultimate, final form.

Steam radiated off of END's armored skin which was now complelty charcoal black in coloration. There was no shine or finish to the armor. No sign of any wear or tear. It was complelty devoid of any blemish or, more to the point that anything was living resided beneath it.

It was the physical representation of darkness.

His armored profile and musculature remained the same as it had been but there was no differential between flesh, armor and clothing. It all blended together seamlessly with no semblance of outline or shadow.

The only color that had been retained were END's glowing red eyes, the demon tattoo on his right arm which now burned a bright cerulean blue, the pristine white teeth of his maw and the burning crag that beet in time with END's heart as blazing orange and red cracks spread forth from the burning heart.

END cracked his knuckles once more by squeezing his hands into fists before slowly unclenching them.

His fingertips then became alight in flame and soon enough, the Enforcers coffins emerged from the earth as the demons made their appearance.

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous." Tres griped, lightning a new cigarette.

"First you call us, then you send us back and then you call us again only to send us back! For crying out loud boss, make up yer goddamn mind already!"

END remained silent, his attention lying solely on the castle.

"…I sense Zeref." Diez said, tapping her staff against the ground, "His presence, his aura, it is everywhere. It is suffocating."

END nodded towards the castle, "He's there. He knows I'm coming, hell, he probably already knows I'm here. And he's waiting for me."

END could feel his summons attention focused on him and him alone. He turned around, slowly, taking his time to inspect and regard the summons that had been his constant companions in battle for as long as he could remember.

His maw quirked in a small, sad smile which was met by the others. Uno inclined his head as did Dos. Tres tipped his hat slightly while Quatro made a gentle grunt and Cinco's eyes softened, the electricity of his body becoming subdued. Seis placed her hand over her heart and bowed to her master as did Siette and Ocho. Nueve set her axe down and curtsied and Diez bowed low to END.

"This is the end for us, isn't it my lord?" Uno asked to which END gave a solemn nod.

"It seems like that." END said, placing his hands on his hips, looking over his shoulder and back to the castle.

"I know that the moment I step in there, I'm not coming out alive. And I don't intend to let Zeref either."

"What about the boy?" Siette asked, "Do you intend to let him die with you?"

"Natsu's fate is his and his alone. I do not intend to let him share mine." END replied.

"You could always turn tail and finish this another day." Tres said to which END gave him a pointed glare.

"Just sayin' that's all." The skeleton gunslinger shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not running from this Tres. I have no place in this life…I'm long overdue for reacquainting with the Grim Reaper." END said.

"Besides…Zeref has captured Lucy and is using her to ensure I come and face him. I'm not leaving her to the mercy-or lack thereof-of my brother."

"It would seem that your host is not the only one who is smitten with the human." Ocho smirked, "You're not getting soft now are you Lord END?"

"What if I am?" END replied, "It still doesn't change the fact that she's in there and Zeref is holding her hostage. I'll tend to her before I settle things with my brother…besides, I think the bastard planned it that way."

"Whatever you choose to do Lord END," Diez spoke, "we will follow you."

"Aye." Uno followed.

END was silent for a minute, hands still on his hips.

"You don't have to…I have the power to set you all free. To release you to the afterlife where you belong."

"And let you get all the fun? No thanks Lord END but we'll be getting in on this too." Tres cackled, flip cocking his guns as he did so.

"There's no way in hell we'd pass on a classic suicide mission!"

"He's right." Uno said, "We pledged our loyalty to you Lord END. We are bound to you. And we shall follow you to the bitter end; whatever that end may be."

"And if anyone gets in our way, we'll just kick their ass." Seis said with a sadistic grin.

END shook his head with a smile, "I had a feeling that would be your response. Very well…seeing as how I can't convince you otherwise, I think there's no point in holding back any longer…"

END raised his hand out and towards his summons.

"Final Curse," He said, "Dark Energy."

A burning blue and red glyph appeared on the foreheads of the summons, minus Uno's however, whose glyph appeared at the center of his chest. Those who could smirked darkly at the sudden influx of power.

"You are all now at your full power. Do not hold back, do not back down and do not show any mercy." END said as he summoned his HELL Blade, spinning it once in his hand before handing it to Uno who accepted the massive blade with ease.

"Uno, unlock my blade." END said.

"Of course my lord." The swordsman replied as he slowly ran his hand across the metal, infusing it with his magic's. The sword slowly burst into flame and embers before all that remained was a rather elegant long sword made from black and red metal. The thirty seven inch blade gleamed in the daylight as it was returned to its master who spun it once more with practice ease before sheathing it across his back, summoning a baldric to do so.

END turned sharply on his heel and faced the castle again as the Enforcers fell in line with him.

"Enforcer's," END said, "Today, me make our final stand. Today we face our destinies. There are only eleven of us and who knows how many Zeref has at his back. But no matter who stands in opposition to us, we shall crush them. We shall crush them all. And when we face Zeref, we shall fight him with every ounce of our strength; until our dying breathes leave our bodies. No matter what it takes…We. Will. Kill. Him."

END grinned as he let his magic surge through his body while taking a runners stance.

"So my Enforcer's, let's raise some hell, one last time."

XXXX

Makarov Dreyar took a languid sip of his afternoon tea as he looked out onto the city below, watching as its inhabitants merrily moved about their day.

It had been over a year since he had left his home continent for the Albareth Empire. A year since he had disbanded his family; Fairy Tail. It had been one of the most heart wrenching decisions he ever had to make in his very long life, minus Laxus's temporary banishment of course.

It had torn his heart asunder when he saw the tears, the looks of disbelief, pain and outright despair when he had announced the guild's disbandment. Fairy Tail had been their home as much as it was his and saying that it was no more was tad amount to saying the world was coming to an end.

But it had to be done.

The battle against Tartarus had left both the Magic Council and F.A.C.E in ruins and many of the guilds involved in the fighting had taken a beating against the demons of Zeref.

And thus, all of Ishgar-not just Fiore-was left vulnerable to attack.

Vulnerable to the Albareth Empire.

They had tried to overthrow Ishgar many years before but had been stopped by the threat of F.A.C.E. With that threat no longer present, it wouldn't be long before those in the Empire seized the opportunity to strike. And there would be no stopping them.

Makarov doubted that the seven hundred and thirty mages of Fiore could stop the armies of Albareth which easily outnumbered them ten to one. It would be a bloodbath and there would be no stopping it. There would be no stopping them from assaulting what remained of Fairy Tail and seizing Fairy Heart; from seizing Mavis, the First Master of Fairy Tail.

And that was something the aging former master could not let happen.

And so, with a heavy heart, Makarov had disbanded his family and had set off for the Empire in hopes that he would be able to by those back home time to reorganize, to regroup and regain their strength. If he could by them time, even at the expense of his own life, it would make all the difference.

If he threatened to unleash Lumen Histoire perhaps that would make the warmongers in the Empire back down.

To Makarov's surprise, he had been welcomed into the Empire. Although he was technically being held against his will, he was treated as an honored guest within Emperor Spriggan's castle.

He had been a "guest" for over the last year. Makarov had tried numerous times to have an audience with the secretive, elusive emperor but the man was either not home, out and about or simply not willing to entertain his company.

For now, until the emperor decided to see him, all Makarov could continue to do was wait, play games of cards…and drink his tea.

"Something troubling you, Makarov?" A voice, equal in age to Makarov's asked.

Turning his head, Makarov found one of his hosts approaching him, his cane echoing off on the marble floor.

"Just thinking, that's all Yajeel." Makarov responded to the aging, stooped man with a kind smile.

"How are you today?"

"I am fine." Yajeel responded pleasantly, "And you?"

"The same as I have been I suppose." Makarov sighed, setting his now empty tea cup down.

"I am still a guest in this castle, awaiting and audience with your king…who seems very adamant about not meeting with me."

"I assure you, the Emperor does not mean to waste your time. He has been a very busy man ever since he returned home and his time has taken priority elsewhere. He assures me that you two will have your meeting in due time, just be patient please."

Makarov sighed heavily knowing that he was in no position to argue. Yajeel was just a messenger after all, merely doing his duty.

"I suppose I could wait a little while longer." Makarov sighed before reaching beneath his robes and removing a box of cards.

"Shall we continue with our usual game?" Makarov asked to which Yajeel gave a pleased chuckle.

"If you don't mind losing again." The elderly man quipped, making Makarov wince. Not once, since he had been at the castle, had he won a game of cards against Yajeel.

"If you also don't mind, I'd like to take our game out the gardens. The weather is quite lovely today and I could use the fresh air." Yajeel continued, gesturing for Makarov to follow him.

"As could I." Makarov, sliding off of his chair with a grunt and popping his back, "These old bones of mine aren't what they used to be after all."

The two elderly men left the tea room that Makarov had been in and made their way through the wide and expansive halls of the castle. Ornate lamp fixtures, polished marble and columns lined their path while armored guards stood at attention and castle staff milled about.

Everything moved like the well-oiled parts of a grandiose machine. Makarov, being used to the insanity that was Fairy Tail, was pleasantly surprised by how efficient everyone and thing moved about the castle.

After walking for a bit, the two elderly gentlemen approached the wide, grand doors that led to the outside gardens and terraces. A small contingent of guards manned the hall and greeted Makarov and Yajeel with curious nods and gestures.

As they approached the doors, a squad of guards frantically entered the hall before exiting at the opposite end. They seemed to be in a rush and paid no mind to the scene they were creating. The other guards looked to one another in confusion, just as two more squads entered the hall at an equally frantic pace.

"I say," Yajeel called out, "whatever is the matter?"

One of the guards slid to a stop and pointed out towards the city.

"A group of lunatics is rampaging down the main city street!" The guard panted, "They're…they're moving with impossible speed; they practically showed up out of nowhere!"

The guard turned on his heel and ran to catch up with his squad.

"They're heading this way and we've been ordered to intercept them!"

And with that the man disappeared down the hallway.

"Oh my…" Makarov said in alarm.

"No need to worry my friend." Yajeel smiled, "I'm sure that whatever it is, the guards can handle it. They are, after all, some of the empires finest soldiers. You'd have to be a complete maniac in order to think that the castles defenses could so easily be breached!"

A series of muffled cries of pain and alarm suddenly echoed out from outside.

"_What the hell are those things!?"_ Someone cried out.

"_They just appeared from the streets below; how the hell is that even possible!?"_

"_Get inside! Get inside! Get-AGHHH!"_

_**BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

"That's gunfire!" Makarov whispered as the guards inside the hall took combative stances, forming up around the door.

"What in blue blazes!?" Yajeel said aloud.

The air suddenly became heavy with magic; dark magic. It was oppressive and filled with malice. It was so powerful that it even brought Makarov to his knees while Yajeel was on the verge of collapsing. The magic became heavier as a presence made itself known at the back of Makarov's mind as it drew closer and closer to the garden doors.

"What…" Yajeel rasped, "What is this…power?"

Makarov gripped his chest, wincing as he focused his attention to the door. This magic…this malice…this hatred…this sheer and utter darkness…he had felt it before.

It had been a year ago, but he remembered it none the less.

"It can't be…" Makarov said, "It can't be him. Lucy…she…she stopped him! She sealed him away!"

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the oppressive magic disappeared as if had never existed in the first place. Makarov blinked once and then twice in shock as he nervously stared at the door.

"What was that?" One of the guards asked, leaning on his spear for support.

_**FWOOSH!**_

The sound of oxygen being sucked away was all the warning the occupants of the hall had before the doors to the garden were blown to pieces by a ball of black fire and a terrific explosion.

Many of the guards near the door were incinerated, their charred bodies being torn apart by the ink black flames while the remaining guards were tossed back and across the hall with pained cries. One poor guard even let out a perfect rendition of the "Wilhelm Scream."

Makarov and Yajeel were knocked back with the formed landing on his back. With a pained groan, the aging guild master pushed himself up with hands before shoving away a piece of the door that had landed on him. Placing his hand to his head and blinking away his pain, Makarov saw Yajeel lying face down, unconscious.

He made to move for the downed man but froze at the sound of heavy footfalls echoing off the marble floor. Looking to the smoking wreck that had once been to grand set of doors, Makarov's eyes widened in disbelief as a dark figure made his way through the smoke.

"That was far too easy." END spoke, brushing some soot off his shoulder as he casted a disinterred look about the hall. He gave a displeased grunt.

"I never would have pegged Zeref for the flashy type but I guess a lot can change in four hundred years."

"E.N.D…" Makarov whispered, his fear rising.

END's head slowly turned to the downed mage, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"You…" END said, stepping forward, "Old man…I…remember you."

He kneeled down so that he was eye to eye with the former guild master. His maw turned up in a gentle smile.

"Yeah…I remember you. From a year ago, you were there with the other Fairy Tail mages when they fought Tartarus. You're…Makarov, the Guild Master, am I right? You're Natsu and Lucy's guild master?"

"What…how…I?" Makarov sputtered in disbelief. The demon in front of him wasn't at all what he was expecting. He had been expecting the ferocious killing machine he had faced a year prior. True, the demon had blasted his way into the castle, killing a number of guards in the process, but now he kneeled before Makarov and spoke to him a kind, friendly tone.

And then he remembered something.

"You…you're E.N.D. But not the E.N.D we fought before." Makarov began while END gave an imploring nod.

"You are the good half that Natsu spoke of, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged." END said, helping Makarov stand as he did the same.

"What are you doing here? More to that, how did you get here?" Makarov asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." END replied.

"I-" Makarov began but was cut off when END raised his hand, shaking his head.

"On second thought…it doesn't matter." END said, "You're here so that means I have no choice in letting you tag along too. I have business to settle here and I'm a bit pressed for time as it is."

"What do you mean?" Makarov asked.

"He means that he's got a date with destiny." A voice spoke out as the smoke cleared, revealing a living skeleton dressed in plains attire and wielding two imposing looking guns.

Tres puffed his cigarette as he used the muzzle of his one gun to tip his hat up slightly.

"Who's the old man?" The skeleton asked, "Another stray for us to take in?"

"If I'm not mistaken he is Natsu's old master. And by old I mean both figuratively and litteraly." Seis said as she slithered on in, the rest of the enforcers following suite.

"Overkill much, my lord?" Uno asked, taking a cursory glance at the destruction and carnage END had wrought.

"In our line of work there's no such thing nor is there enough." Ocho said as she lightly kicked the body of a fallen guard.

Quatro grunted as he shifted from his natural rock form to absorbing the marble from the floor, creating a more streamlined appearance while replacing the ball and socket joint of his lower half for a pair of sturdy legs.

"Natsu…END…What are those things?" Makarov asked in awe of the summons. He could feel their power radiating off them like heat from a flame. It made him feel uneasy, ill even.

"My Enforcers." END said, "My loyal summons."

END cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing as he did so as he focused on something that only he could see.

"Zeref is here," he said, "he's further in towards the center of the castle. Either the keep or throne room; something of that sort."

He then looked above, his eyes narrowing further, "Lucy is being held above us. The Hunters are with her too, making sure she isn't trying to escape."

"What!?" Makarov said in alarm, "Zeref!? Lucy!? What the hell is going on!?"

Yajeel had mentioned that another guest had been brought to the castle a few days earlier but had not specified who or where they were in the castle. But hearing that it was none other than Lucy Heartfilia that had been a shock.

"Zeref kidnapped Lucy in order to draw me out. I've come here to rescue her and settle things with Zeref." END replied.

"But how!? Zeref disappeared shortly after you were sealed away. How could he have known about Lucy's whereabouts?" Makarov asked.

END gave an annoyed sigh, "Because he's been here, at this castle, the whole time. He sent out a pack of unique demons to search for me. When they found me, so did he. When Natsu finally met up with Lucy, she chose to follow us. It's only natural that Zeref would see an opportunity in this and exploit it."

"But for Zeref to be here," Makarov said, still in disbelief, "surely Emperor Spriggan would realize the dangers of allowing a man as dangerous as Zeref to be in his presence."

"Emperor Spriggan?" END asked, his brow quirking slightly before a look of understanding formed in his eyes.

"Ah, I see…Spriggan…"Ugly Fairy". So that's the name he's going by these days." END continued as he stood, his maw forming a rueful grin.

"What is it?" Makarov asked.

"Nothing you should be concerned about." END said, stepping past Makarov and motioning for the Enforcer's to follow.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Makarov said, his voice strained, "Just what exactly is going on here!?"

"I do not have the time nor the patience to continue answering your questions, old man." END snapped with a hiss, pausing mid stride to turn back to the older man.

The demon and the guild master starred each other down for a heartbeat before END sighed heavily and pinched his brow. He then nodded for Makarov to follow him as well.

"Look…I know you're confused as to what's going on here, but I don't have time to explain everything. I promise you however, that things will become clearer in time. For now, I need you to trust me."

Makarov frowned deeply but did not appear to reject END's plea, "Alright END. But I expect some answers from you when this all comes to a close."

END did not reply. He simply turned on his heel and continued to move back through the hall to an adjacent hallway.

"What about Yajeel?" Makarov asked, looking back to the still unconscious host.

"Leave him. He'll be found soon enough." Was END's simple response.

The group moved at a brisk pace, following END's lead as he easily moved about the castle halls as if he were a resident of the castle itself. Then, without warning, END drew his sword as he rounded a corner and cut down a guard with ease. They had stumbled upon a squad of guards that had been racing towards the gardens to intercept whoever had the gall to assault their castle.

Uno and Tres were quick to react as they quickly felled four of the guards while Seis fired an arrow that nailed another to the wall. The remaining guard, horrified by how quickly his comrades had been cut down, turned to flee but was tripped when Ocho snapped her whip and caught his ankle. She then pulled on her whip and dragged the guard back to the demons as the guard desperately clawed at the floor.

"Stay back!" The guard cried out in fear, "Stay back you freaks!"

"Hush now little boy." Ocho cooed with sadistic glee, as she removed the man's helmet and pressed a finger to his lips, "Now, where do you think you're running off to."

"I'm not telling you anything you freak!" The guard spat out only for Ocho to grab him forcefully by the neck and lift him up off the ground.

"Oh, I'm not the one you'll be talking to." The dominatirx demon grinned, forcefully turning the guards head so that he was looking at END, "He is."

END stepped forward with narrowed eyes as he raised his sword to be level with the guard's heart.

"You are one of the guards of this castle, yes?" END asked.

When he received no response, Ocho released the guard so that he fell onto his back with a heavy "thud." It was then that END planted his boot on the guard's chest and pressed the tip of his sword to the guard's throat.

"Well?" END pressed.

"I…I am." The guard rasped, his voice quavering in fear.

"So it stands to reason that you have a knowhow as to the inner workings of this castle. A few days ago young woman was brought to this castle in the company of a set of… "Interesting" creatures. I can sense her presence but cannot pinpoint as to where she is. Can you tell me where I can find her?" END asked, his tone uniquely polite.

"Why should I tell you?" The guard asked, "You're just going to kill me anyway!"

"No, no I'm not. But I _will_ if you don't tell me what I want to know." END said in a sickeningly pleasant tone.

"…Yeah sure, we heard that this broad had been brought here to the castle under the emperor's orders. She's been locked up in one of the guest rooms in tower above us. We were told to keep her under lock and key but seeing as how those freaks have been watching her twenty four-seven I don't see why."

"What freaks?" END asked despite knowing the answer.

"These monsters, really scary things. Hiss and growl whenever someone gets too close to the room." The guard said.

"That means that the Hunters are guarding her. You'll have to be careful when you go in after her." Seis said.

"Duly noted." END said, pressing his blade further to the guard's neck, "What room? Where are they?"

"R-Room ten o' seven." The guard said, raising his hands in defense.

"I know what floor that's on. It's just a few levels above us." Makarov said.

"Thank you." END said, "Now, three more questions and then we'll be on our way. One; what is the quickest way to get upstairs. Two; can we expect to run into any more of your friends on our way. And three, and this is the most important one; where is the emperor?"

"…There's a grand stairway back the way we came from. It connects to all levels of the castle. The stairs are huge so you can't miss them. And yeah, there's plenty more where I came from. They're all heading this way, to the gardens. But since you just minced my squad and the others, they all know where to catch you. You'll never make it out of here alive."

END smacked the sneer off of the guards face, pressing the blade even closer to his throat.

"That remains to be seen." END said then stressed his voice, "Now…where. Is. The. Emperor."

The guard huffed defiantly but relented none the less, "He's in the throne room. Center of the castle…where he always is."

END smirked, "That wasn't so hard now was it?"

END pulled his sword away, stood, and then just as quickly summoned his scattergun in his free hand. Before the guard could react, END blew a dinner plate sized hole through his chest.

The air was thick with gun smoke, the scent of burnt flesh and blood.

"You…you said you would let him go!" Makarov said, aghast at what END had just done.

Some of the Enforcer's snickered while END rolled his eyes, "I lied."

"But you…he told you…why!?" Makarov demanded.

"What, I'm not entitled to a lie every now and then?" He asked, "He served his purpose. I had no further use for him."

END gave his scattergun a cowboy spin and kept his sword drawn as he marched forward.

"I may inhabit Natsu's body old man but that doesn't mean I play by your rules. You can hate me all you want for what I just did but in the end, it won't matter how many people I kill today."

The Enforcer's followed their master while a glaring Makarov trailed behind. He had seen many acts of violence in his life and the death of the guard was one more to add to the list. But the fact that END had blatantly lied to the guard and then nearly blasted him in two irked him on a personal level simply due the fact that the demon was using Natsu's body to commit these acts.

Natsu, hot tempered, kind hearted, pyromaniac that embodied the strengths and values of Fairy Tail. The man everyone in the guild had come to love and care about.

And END had turned him into a monster. To say that he hated the demon was a tame way of describing things.

Begrudgingly, Makarov held his tongue as he followed the demons. After all, it seemed none of them shared his sense of ethics anyway.

XXXX

The guard hadn't lied about the scale of the grand stairway. It was a marvel of architectural engineering with smooth handrails and wide steps that turned sharply and led to separate levels of the castle. A runner made from the finest of cloth was draped over the steps and created a scene similar to a red waterfall against the polished marble flooring.

And like the stairs and the levels of the castle they connected, the guard had also been right about the rather large contingent of guards that was milling about and taking head counts while others made their way down and up the steps.

"Stay here." END said to Makarov as he rounded the corner of the hall, "This'll be messy."

And with that, END raised his scattergun and blasted a guard just as he turned to face the sound of END's footsteps.

An arrow zipped past his head and nailed a guard square in his chest, sending him over the railing of the stairs. Seis drew two new arrows and let them fly while Cinco fired arcs of electricity from his hands.

The guards responded quickly, charging the demons in retaliation. Tres let loose a salvo of lead with END joining in with his free gun while felling a guard with his sword.

Uno leapt over his comrade and master, both his Spatha's drawn, and cut down three guards with ease.

Quatro easily deflected the attacks of the guard's weapons, the marble he had reformed himself out of being surprisingly resilient, and smashed, stomped and swatted the guards away. Dos and Diez casted their spells and magic's to both protect their fellow demons and dispatch the guards in rather… "Creative" fashion.

Siette leapt from support column to support column, railing to railing and even dangled from a chandelier at one point while her spear never ceased to move and return from her grip. The agile demon was always on the move, never giving her prey a chance to catch up with her.

Finally, Ocho and Nueve worked in tandem with Ocho binding Nueve with her whip and spinning her about as the child gleefully held onto her axe while being used as an impromptu flail.

Together the demons easily cut the guards down to size with the skirmish ending in a matter of seconds. END hadn't been wrong when he said that the fight would be messy as blood pooled on the marble, severed limbs lay strewn about and bodies lay where they had been felled, tossed or shot.

Makarov, having poked his head around the corner when the sounds of battle ceased, had to suppress his gag reflex at the sight of the carnage.

"_They never stood a chance."_ He lamented to himself.

"That was too easy." Tres said, drawing a new cigarette and lighting it, only for Ocho to pluck it from his teeth and take a long dreg from it.

"Oi!" The demon snapped while Ocho smirked in response, blowing the smoke into his face.

"Thanks for the smoke," She said, looking to END, "and yes, that didn't satisfy me at all. When are we going to get a real challenge my lord?"

END shrugged, dispelling his scattergun and wiping the blood from his sword on the cape of a guard.

"Why don't you asked the twelve souls that are heading our way? They're just a few levels below us…probably have been tracking us since we stepped foot in the city." END sighed, cracking his neck.

"I'm sorry, did you say twelve people are heading our way?" Makarov asked, eyes growing wide.

"Yep. I can sense twelve of them. Mages by the looks of it; twelve mages who do have a decent amount of strength to them." END said, looking over his shoulder to Makarov.

"Not good, not good…" Makarov muttered, "If you're correct then those twelve mages that our racing to us as we speak are none other than the Spriggan Twelve!"

"The who?" Cinco asked.

"Spriggan Twelve…like Emperor Spriggan?" END asked, receiving a nod, "Huh, how original?" He finished with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.

"They are not people you should take lightly. They are the Emperor's elite bodyguards; the strongest mages in all of the Empire! They are responsible for singlehandedly crushing all who oppose the empire and will stop at nothing to see the Emperor's will carried out." Makarov proclaimed.

"I'm shaking in my boots." Uno muttered sarcastically.

"If they catch up with us, I can only imagine the hell they will unleash. If they figure out that you're looking for Lucy and targeting the Emperor, they are not afraid to fight dirty in stopping you." Makarov continued, ignoring Tres, fixing his attention on END.

END nodded in response, running his hand through his hair. He knew very well what Makarov meant by the Spriggan's "fighting dirty."

"Then I'm sure they'll be surprised when they encounter a set of enemies who can match them in both strength and skill." END replied.

"Old man, Dos, come with me." END continued, "The rest of you, see to it that you give these Spriggan Twelve a warm welcome. You're power has been unlocked to its true potential; I expect you to give it your all. Not that you'll have a problem when dealing with our welcoming hosts."

"C'mon boss, have you ever doubted us?" Tres asked.

"You really want me to answer that?" END smirked.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Makarov balked, "You're speaking as if fighting the Emperor's strongest mages is nothing more than mere child's play! I've seen the power they can wield, what they can do! How can you expect to effectively fight them when you're outnumbered two to one!?"

"Then it's an even fight." END smirked as he haphazardly picked Makarov up by the scruff of his shirt, the older mage protesting all the way while Dos silently took his place next to END.

"Enforcer's…give 'em hell. Old man, tell me when to stop." And with those words, END leapt into the air in a single bound and broke through the stairs above. The sound of breaking marble accompanied by Makarov's panicked cries echoed throughout the grand stairwell as END and Dos disappeared from sight.

"There he goes. Off to save girl and slay the monster." Uno said with a heavy sigh as he walked up the stairs before sitting down at the center.

"I find it to be both noble and romantic." Seis hummed, slithering up to the swordsman and draping herself across him. She took his hand then, smoothing gentle circles over his palm with her hand.

"I just hope he knows what he's doing." Uno said.

"I don't think it will matter anyway." Tres said, "It's not like we're making it out of here anyway."

"Oh don't be so negative." Ocho flicked his forehead, "We've had a good run and now we get to make a last stand. What could be better than that?"

"Sipping margarita's at a beach in Caelum?" Tres quipped, making Ocho pause before shrugging in agreement.

"Regardless, Lord END gave us a task to uphold and uphold it we shall." Diez said, making her way to the top of the stairs before leaning against her staff.

"Speaking of said task," she continued, "I do believe our hosts will be joining us soon enough."

"Aye. They're getting closer…take positions everyone. This is it." Uno commanded as the remaining Enforcer's took position on and around the stairs.

They didn't have to wait long for the Spriggan's to arrive. One by one, the elite guards entered the grand hall of the stairwell through the hall the Enforcer's had first entered through. They ranged in build, height and attire along with power levels, but there was no doubt in the demons minds that these were indeed powerful mages.

The Enforcer's had finally met those who would provide a sufficient challenge and test of their skills.

As they eyed the carnage that filled the hall, the Spriggan's seemed nonplussed by their fallen comrades. In fact they hardly paid the fallen guards a fleeting glace and appeared to be more concerned with not getting blood on their shoes or attire.

"You." A young man with white hair, glasses and prim and proper appearance spoke as he pointed a finger at Uno.

"Identify yourselves!" He snapped.

"All depends on who you are kid." Uno replied, steepling his hands in front of his face.

The man appeared annoyed by Uno's response as he casted a sharp glare at Uno, "I am Invel, the "Winter General" of the Albareth Empire. And you?"

"Uno, the First Enforcer. Loyal summon to Etherious Natsu Dragneel, who is in turn Zeref's strongest demon."

"Demons of Zeref? My, my, aren't we in for a treat." A woman with short blond hair and revealing attire spoke up, stepping past Invel as she quirked a cocky smirk.

"And you are?" Uno asked.

"Dimaria Yesta," The woman replied with a smirk, "The "Valkyrie"."

"Charmed." Uno said as he stood while Seis moved to his side.

"You don't seemed surprised to see us." Dimaria said, "Seeing as how we sensed you the minute you entered our city."

"Because we've been expecting you." Uno said, "And now that you're here, I find myself disappointed."

"How so?" Dimaria arched her brow.

"I was expecting…more. But it appears you're just what we thought." Uno replied.

"And that would be what?" Invel asked.

"A bunch of over glorified bodyguards." Ocho sneered, answering for Uno.

Dimaria glared at the demon with a quick glance but focused back on Uno, "I'm going to let that slide. Look, we are after the one who went on a rampage upstairs. Step aside and we'll let you escape with your dignity."

"We'll pass." Uno replied, "We're under orders to stop you from going after that same man. So if you want him, you'll have to go through us."

Dimaria smirked and in a blink of an eye, she was before Uno.

"That can be arranged!" She grinned wickedly, summoning her sword and quickly running it through Uno's head.

Instead of the demon falling as Dimaria had expected, however, Uno let out an amused hum. Seis began to cackle in an amused manner and Dimaria could only quirk her brow before Uno retaliated; his Kriegsmesser now in hand. Dimaria leapt back, eyes wide at how quickly Uno had summoned his sword. Landing back with her fellow Spriggan's, Dimaria glared at Uno as he summoned his second Kriegsmesser.

"You know, that would have worked…" Uno said as he raised his hand to pull his hood back, "If I still had a head."

And sure enough, when the demon pulled his hood down, he was most definitely lacking a head. Dimaria and Invel's eyes widened in surprise and trepidation as the demons focused their arura's, filling the hall with the darkness that granted them their power.

"Did you think that we would be some pushovers that you could step on? Some ants that you could crush?" Uno asked.

"Sorry to disappoint you but you'll be in for the fight of your lives from this point on. We are demons of END. We were created from some of humanities most depraved and violent souls; some of us were even called from the beyond itself. "

A small ball of flame kindled to life above Uno's neck and in and instant, it grew to a roaring blaze.

"Let me give you an example of such. A long time ago, before I first came under Lord END's command, I was a man who had died in battle and had lost my head in the process. I became a vengeful spirit who rose from the grave every night in search of my lost head. It was at that time that I began my first reign of terror…in a sleepy little valley, in a sleepy little town. You may have heard of me seeing as how my story has been passed down from generation to generation. I never did find my head by the way."

The ball of flame above Uno's neck burned brighter and flickered with the beat of his undead heart. A pumpkin suddenly appeared from within the flame and took on the appearance of a jack o' lantern with narrowed eyes and a frighteningly menacing and twisted grin.

Uno began to laugh then. It grew from a low chuckle to a depraved cackle that only belonged to a madman. It completely clashed with his image of a cool and collected swordsman…when in reality, that persona had been a cover for the insanity that lay beneath.

"Tell me, oh mighty Spriggan's, do you have what it takes to handle the Enforcers of END!?" Uno cackled.

Or to be more precise…

"Do you have what it takes to handle "The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow!?"

And with those words, the demons charged forward and clashed with the ugly fairies.

XXXX

_**With Lucy…**_

The floor of the state room shook slightly as the dulled sounds of battle followed.

Lucy Heartfilia sat atop the covers of the four poster bed that had been hers since she had been brought to the castle by the Hunters.

She was Zeref's prisoner now and she could only pray that Natsu and the others were able to track her down before Zeref decided to do away with her.

The spirit mage had lost her keys back on the battlefield, so there was no way for her to fight back or break out. Not when the hunter pack kept watch over her twenty four seven.

The monsters had stood stock still the entire time she had been confined to the room-minus when she had been allowed to use the restroom and wash-and had kept their attention solely on her. Every time she got to close to the door or windows of her room, they would hiss in warning and she would be forced to step away in fear.

The only human interaction she had had throughout her ordeal had been when a guard had delivered her meals or brought her a new set of clothes (today's being a beautiful, sleeve less white satin gown). There had been one day however, when a rather peculiar woman had visited her room. Her name was Brandish, if she remembered correctly and the only notable thing about her had been that she had glared at Lucy the entire time she had taken to deliver Lucy her lunch that day.

She hadn't seen the woman since and she hoped she didn't anytime soon. There was something not particularly right with that woman.

Another dull thud brought Lucy back to reality and more importantly, the fighting that was occurring somewhere in the castle.

The day head eased into the afternoon much as it had since she had been taken hostage, with no one telling her what was going on or answering her questions. That was until a powerful but oppressive magical aura had nearly made her collapse from the bed.

She knew that magic all too well.

It was END's magic.

It was Natsu's magic.

He was here, in the castle, with the rest of Fairy Tail. They had come for her; _he_ had come for her.

Lucy had been filled with both relief and dread all at once upon feeling the familiar magic of the man she loved. She was relieved because she knew that no matter what, Natsu and the others would fight their way to her; that they would save her.

But on the other hand, she knew that somewhere in this castle, Zeref was waiting for Natsu. He was waiting for their death battle to pick up where it had left off over a year earlier. Lucy wasn't blind to the fact that she was being used as bait to draw Natsu out for Zeref and the thought made her ill. She prayed that Natsu and the others had an escape plan that would allow them to both avoid Zeref and get the hell out of dodge.

Her thoughts were once again interrupted by the hissing of the Hunters. They were tense and sniffing about the room as if they had sensed something. And that whatever it was drawing close.

The air was heavy with tension and Lucy found herself unconsciously moving closer to the headboard; her mind and body telling her to get away from the hunters and whatever trouble was coming.

The floor at the middle of the room suddenly burst apart as a dark figure leapt through from the floor below. The jump the intruder and sprang into quickly turned into a combative stance as he snapped his leg out in a flying kick and planted his boot square in the head of the hunter closet to him. The kick was powerful enough that it sent the creature flying out the nearby window to its death.

The intruder landed in a crouch and it took Lucy's eyes only a moment to register what or rather, who, she was looking at.

"NATSU!" Lucy cried out in joy. He was in his demon form, but it was Natsu none the less.

Natsu's head snapped up and he back flipped just in time to avoid a hunter's tail which had tried to spear his head. Natsu, while in mid flip, snapped his hand out and incinerated the creature with a blast of jet black fire. Landing, Natsu pivoted on his heel and snap jumped to the nearest hunters, his longsword drawn and at the ready. With a seamless wipe of his arm, Natsu decapitated two of the hunters before they even had a chance to react to his sudden movements.

There were only five hunters remaining now.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu barked as he delivered a swift upper cut that sent a hunter flying through the ceiling, undoubtedly killing it along the way. The remaining four surged at Natsu all at once and pounced onto the fire mage as their teeth and claws dug into him.

"Get off of me!" Natsu hissed as he fired his optical laser into the one hunter, severing its head from its shoulders, while grabbing two of the hunters by their necks. He managed to kick the third one off of him just in time to snap the necks of the hunters in his grip with a mere flick of his wrists.

The third and final hunter managed to quickly recover from Natsu's shove and dived low and fast at Natsu. But the dragonslayer had been expecting this. With equal speed, Natsu smashed his elbow down atop the hunters head and into his awaiting knee. There was the sound of cracking bone as the creatures jaw broke but Natsu was quick to put it out of its misery by finishing it off with his sword.

With a grunt, Natsu pried his sword free and cracked his neck before walking over to and opening the door to the room.

"It's safe to come in now." Natsu called out down the hall.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed again, drawing the mages attention as he turned around to see her scramble over the bed and pull him into a tight embrace.

"You're here…you're really here…" Lucy said as tears of joy streamed from her eyes.

"I…I wasn't sure if you'd get to me in time."

Natsu was quiet and made no move to return Lucy's embrace. Perplexed, Lucy looked up to the mage, confusion clearly present in her eyes.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, "What's wrong?"

Natsu was silent as he starred down at Lucy, his red eyes producing a dull glow while his maw was set in a deep frown, giving him a rather somber appearance.

"_Wait…"_ Lucy paused, _"his eyes are glowing red…not green."_

The only time Natsu's eyes glowed red was when he was possessed by E.N.D. Or rather, when he let END take control of his body.

"END?" Lucy whispered, "END is that you?"

"Hi Lucy," END sighed, his maw turning up slightly, "I'm glad to see that you're alright. And to answer your question, no, I am not your Natsu. In fact, he's not here at the moment."

"What!?" Lucy gasped, "What are you talking about!? What did you do!?"

"The only thing I could do for him." END replied cryptically before his head turned to the door.

"Old man, get in here already. Are you so old that it's starting to affect how quickly you move!?"

"I may be old but that doesn't mean I can't kick your ass!" Makarov snapped back as he entered the state room with Dos following behind him.

Before he could survey the carnage inflicted upon the hunters, his attention was drawn to one very surprised Lucy Heartfilia.

"Lucy!" Makarov beamed in relief. Lucy hadn't been harmed, thank Mavis!

"Master!?" Lucy gasped, "What are you doing here!? I…I had no idea you were in the castle!?"

"I've been here for over a year now my dear. I could also say the same for you; I had no idea you were also here until END informed me of your whereabouts." Makarov replied, gesturing to the demon.

"What about the others? Gray, Erza, Wendy? Are they here too? Are they the ones fighting down stairs?" Lucy asked, all at once.

Makarov's brow furrowed, "No Lucy. The fighting you are hearing is between END's summons and the Emperor's bodyguards. They are locked in combat as we speak in order to buy us time."

Lucy looked to END, a frown forming on her lips, "END…what is going on here? Why is it just you and the Enforcer's here and not the rest of my friends?"

"…They would only get in the way." END replied, taking Lucy aback.

"Get in the way? Get in the way of what?" Lucy asked.

"What needs to be done." END replied, choosing to remain cryptic in his responses.

"END, you're not making any damn sense!" Lucy snapped, "Let me talk to Natsu, I need to hear all of this from him!"

END did not respond. Instead he slowly walked up to Lucy, crossing well into her personal space. Lucy was so surprised by the demons move that she found herself going stock still.

"You'll look after him, won't you?" END asked, as he set his hands on Lucy's shoulders.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"When I'm gone and the ash has settled, you'll be the one to pick up the pieces and mend his heart?"

"END…what are you talking about? Who are you talking about?"

END's response to Lucy's question was to bend his head down and press his maw to Lucy's lips. Lucy was stunned by the move to say the least. The teeth of END's maw were surprisingly both dry as they were warm and Lucy got the distinct impression that END was kissing her.

END pulled back, just as quickly, leaving a stunned Lucy to gawk at him with wide eyes and rosy red cheeks. The demon smiled a small, sad smile as he moved his hands to gently smooth his thumbs over Lucy's flushed cheeks.

"I wonder…had things been different, could you have ever learned to love something as twisted as me?"

END let his one hand fall to the wayside while his other drifted to cup Lucy's chin.

"Perhaps…perhaps…" END muttered before he let his arm slowly drift to his side.

"Perhaps not." He finished, "Then again…I'll never know, for it doesn't matter now."

A ball of white flame formed in the demons hand and with a flick of his wrist, the flame turned into a black, hardcover book which END handed to Lucy. END repeated the motion and produced a familiar scarf with a dragon scale pattern.

"Take them." He said.

Lucy, still stunned from END's "kiss" could only numbly take the offered book and scarf as her eyes scanned the cover through the daze that filled her mind. A simple title, the letters colored in red, graced the cover while the book itself remained clasped shut.

The title read: _BOOK OF E.N.D: REVISED_

"END?" Lucy whispered looking back to the demon who had stepped back from the young mage while beckoning Makarov to her side.

"When the time comes, that book will unlock and the truth shall be revealed. Half of those pages are filled with my story…the rest of the pages are blank. I leave it to you and him to fill in the rest."

"What…END, you're not making any sense." Lucy said but END ignored her.

"Dos, send them back to Ishgar. Send them home." END addressed the ghostly demon.

"What!?" Makarov and Lucy blurted out.

"Would you care to specify a destination?" The demon asked as the books chained to his wrists opened of their own accord.

"…Hargeon Town." END said, "Yes, send them to Hargeon Town. It was where their adventure began all those years ago. Do you know where it is Dos?"

"Yes my lord." The demon replied.

"Then do it." END said, turning back to Makarov and Lucy, who were still trying to comprehend what END had just told the demon.

Before the two mages could react, Dos extended his right hand and a magic circle appeared beneath Makarov and Lucy's feet; locking them in place.

"END!" Makarov snarled, "What is the meaning of this!?"

"What are you doing!?" Lucy said, her voice strained as she struggled to move, only to find that her feet refused to move.

"It's the only way to keep the two of you safe. To ensure that you will live on lest you get caught in the crossfire." END said.

"And in order to do that, I'm teleporting the two of you back to your homeland. You'll be far, far away from what is about to unfold."

"No!" Lucy snapped, her voice pleading and filled with fear, "We're Fairy Tail, we stick together no matter what! We don't leave one another behind or turn our backs to each other!"

"Don't fight me on this Lucy." END growled in warning.

"Like hell I won't!" Lucy cried out and with strength that surprised even END, she managed to lunge forward past the teleportation circle and grab END by his shoulders.

"I won't _lose him_ again! I won't let you _take him_ from me again!" Lucy punctuating her words with firm shakes of END's shoulders as tears spilled from her eyes.

"You and Natsu are one and the same," Lucy sobbed, "what you're saying…if you die…if he dies...I…I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

END frowned deeply, his eyes losing their gleam as if reflecting the pain in his own heart. The demon slowly shook his head and held Lucy by her shoulders in the same manner that she had grabbed him.

"We may share a body, Lucy, but that's all Natsu and I have in common. My fate is to meet my final end here; with Zeref. Natsu's fate…his destiny…that's for him to find out on his own. It's for him to find out with you."

With more force than was necessary, END shoved Lucy back into the teleportation circle just as the magic reached its peak.

"That is why you must live on without me…to make sure he never strays from his path; to make sure his fate is his and his alone."

END looked to Makarov, his eyes becoming rekindled once more.

"Old man," END growled, "keep her safe."

Makarov swallowed hard, but nodded his head none the less, "I will."

"WAIT!" Lucy cried out, her hand reaching out to END, "STOP! PLEASE!"

"Dos, are you ready?" END asked the specter.

"Fully charged and primed my lord." Dos replied, raising his fingers as if to snap them.

"Then send them on their way." END said.

The magic in the circle burned brighter and brighter as Lucy and Makarov seemingly began to blur out of existence.

"END!" Lucy screamed, her hand still reaching for the demon.

"Goodbye." END whispered, the last image of Lucy being her wide, terrified eyes and the tears that spilled from them.

"NATSU!"

And with a snap of Dos's fingers and a flash of light, they were gone. END hung his head and let out a heavy, shaking sigh as his jaw tensed to the point that it threatened buckle and break. His hands slowly clenched and unclenched as the demon began to breathe deeply in order to calm himself.

It helped…but not that much.

"Dos," END hissed, "I want you to send word to those Fairy Tail mages of Lucy and Makarov's return. They'll need someone to pick them up and bring them home."

The specter did as he was ordered and tore a blank page from one of his books while producing an inked quill in his other hand. With a brief flourish, Dos had quickly transcribed a simple set of instructions that would lead Fairy Tail back to their comrades. The letter then disappeared in a ball of green flame.

"Done." Dos replied curtly.

END straightened his back and locked his shoulders back, "Thank you, Dos. I have one final command to give to you and I want you to pass it along."

"And that'd be…?" Dos inquired.

"I want you to rejoin the others. They are holding their own but I am sure your aid would be appreciated none the less. When you get to them, pass on that when the time comes, I want all of you to be ready at my call; understood?"

"It will be done my lord." Dos said with a bow of his head.

"Go." END said simply and with his head still bowed, Dos was gone.

END silently lingered in Lucy's room for several heartbeats, the equivalent of an eternity for the demon, before he turned on his heel and exited the room. He then made his way back the way Makarov and Dos had come while opening a mental link to Uno.

"_Uno, status report."_ END commanded.

"_Oh, we're having a blast my lord!"_ Uno laughed, _"Considering how we're just toying with them, I'd have thought they'd put up more of a challenge!"_

"_So you've let The Horseman I see."_ END hummed in amusement, _"Tell me how does it feel?"_

"_Ah, there's nothing quite like letting the insanity out after keeping that façade up for so much time! I haven't had this much fun in ages!"_

"_I take it the others feel the same way?" _END asked.

The sound of Nueve manically giggling followed by the rapport of Tre's guns was his response.

"_You like that!?"_ Tres cackled, "_You like that you piece of shit! What's the matter, you're not scarred of me are ya'!?"_

"_More or less, yes."_ Uno replied and END, despite the sound of his sword clashing with another blade, could practically hear the demented smile in Uno's voice.

"_Don't you fucking run away from me!"_ Ocho suddenly shrieked, making END wince, "_Get back here you coward!"_

"_Uh oh, looks like one of the Spriggan managed to slip past us my lord. He's heading your way so I think it's safe to assume he's coming after you. If I didn't know any better I'd say he's going to try and cut you off from reaching Zeref."_ Uno said with a sigh.

"_I'll deal with him accordingly."_ END replied before slowing down in his pace.

A sudden but brief wave of dark magic had washed over him; an ice cold chill that ran up his spine. He could almost taste the dread in the air along with the faint odor of death and decay.

"_We sensed that down here."_ Uno spoke up, his tone becoming more restrained, _"Even the Spriggan's seemed to feel that tinge of darkness, no matter how brief it was." _

"_It's Zeref."_ END scowled with a roll of his eyes, _"He's getting impatient and is calling me to him. He's at the center of the castle, just as that guard had said." _

"_Then you'd best not keep him waiting." _Uno replied and cut the connection at his end.

With those words, END doubled his pace and followed the darkness that lingered in the air. The proverbial bread crumbs that would lead him to Zeref.

XXXX

The guard flew through the air with a pained cry and the doors parted with his body impacting the hardwood.

END cracked his neck before doing the same for his wrist. That had been the eighth contingent of guards he had come across on his journey to the throne room, indicating that he was drawing ever closer to his ultimate goal.

The guards themselves were the royal guards, the best of the best the Albareth military had produced; veterans of numerous conquests and battles.

None of them, however, had stood a chance against the demon.

He had felled and incinerated them with ease to the point where had anyone seen him, would have assumed that the demon was bored with tedium the guards created. A human of lesser skill would have found the guards to be quite the adversaries but for END, well, the word "human" never really did apply to him.

Evaporating the blood from the blade of his sword, END kept the weapon drawn as he stepped through the doors he had hurled the guard through. Stepping over the man's corpse, END took in his surroundings.

It was a wide, open veranda that overlooked a large, garden courtyard below. A bridge led over the veranda and connected the opposite end, leading to a part of the castle that consisted of a single large hall and towering stained glass windows.

It was here that Zeref's magic was the strongest. He didn't have to be inside the throne room to know that Zeref was smirking that arrogant, smug smile he seemed to favor these days.

He knew END had arrived.

The feeling annoyed the hell out of the demon and he clenched his hand in anticipation of wiping that smirk off his brother's face; by smashing his fist into the dark mage.

Repeatedly.

However, as much as he wanted to confront Zeref, END took a moment to walk over to the end of the Veranda that overlooked the lower half of the castle and the city below. Zeref could wait a few minutes more and END knew that it would piss him off to no extent. END smirked at the thought of Zeref tensing in his throne like an impatient child.

Leaning against the railing of the veranda, END closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth provided by the midday sun. His enhanced hearing could sense the dull sounds of the Enforcer's continuing battle with the Spriggan's as the fighting echoed out from the insides of the castle. END paid them no mind. They were holding their own and doing a damn good job of it.

Opening his eyes, END let a soft smile form on his maw as he took in the view once more. It may very well be the last pleasant thing he saw on this day.

Blinking, END let his smile fall and straightened his back. It was time to move and deal with his "observer."

"Are you going to just keep standing there or are you going to come down here so we can get this over with?" END said, not turning around.

An amused laugh met his ears, "Damn, and here I was thinking I could get the drop on you!"

END snorted in amusement, "Buddy, I've known you were following me for quite some time. I commend you for slipping past my Enforcer's but the moment you entered my sensory range, I had you pegged. I merely let you follow along rather than seek you out."

The newcomer cackled as he leapt down from the rooftop he had slipped out onto and landed behind END in a low crouch. Turning around, END was greeted by the sight of a lanky, muscular man with light, baggy clothing and a wild head of hair. He smiled an arrogant smile as he locked eyes with the demon.

The man let out a low whistle but maintained his sneer, "Damn…you are one ugly son of a bitch."

"Said the pot that called the kettle black." END quipped, arching his brow, "And you are?"

The man rose and extended his arms out with a flourish, "I am The Desert King of the Albareth Empire; Ajeel Ramal!"

He then pointed an extended finger at END, his grin widening in what the demon perceived to be excitement.

"And you…!" Ajeel said, "Are Etherious Natsu Dragneel; E.N.D! You're reputation precedes you if I do say so myself!"

"You know who I am, I'm flattered." END replied sarcastically.

"Oh, I know all about you. You're supposed to be some hot shot demon created by Zeref; that you're the baddest motherfucker he ever created and then some!"

"I'm sorry, but do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" END asked, cocking his head slightly while keeping his tone flat.

Ajeel was strong, he could sense that much. But how strong and if he would impede his meeting with Zeref, remained to be seen.

"Playing the cool guy routine won't get you any style point's freak." Ajeel smirked, "You've made quite the mess of the castle and we don't appreciate that very much. Especially since you seem dead set on meeting our Emperor."

"_You have no idea how accurate that statement is."_ END thought but let out an annoyed huff.

"What you want?"

"Why, a fight with you!" Ajeel cackled, "And a chance to kick your ass. You may be some hot shot demon but your nothing compared to me, one of the mighty Spriggan Twelve!"

"Funny, your friends seem to have their hands full with the ten summons I left in my stead. If they're so powerful, how come they're not here with you?"

"Those losers? HA! Don't make me laugh; they're nothing compared to what I'm capable of!"

"Tell me, is everyone in this country as arrogant as you and your Emperor are or is just you lucky few?" END said, slowly shifting his feet into a combative stance.

Ajeel noticed END's movements and arched his brow with a grin. The tension in the air was at its breaking point and would snap at any moment.

"Arrogance is something we all enjoy when your part of the most powerful country in all of Earthland." Ajeel sneered.

"Your arrogance blinds you." END narrowed his eyes, drawing his sword back while his free hand uncurled into a claw.

"I think I can see just fine," Ajeel quipped, "and all I see before me is some smartass freak. Why, I bet you're not even all that; that everything said about you is nothing but hype and spook stories. Hell, I'll even go far as to say that I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back!"

"Kid," END hissed, eyes blazing bright, "I'd love to see you try."

The demon snapped his hand out and fired a jet of black flame at Ajeel who ducked low beneath the attack. Ajeel grinned as he too casted his hand out and unleashed his magic against END, firing a spear made of sand from within his own body.

END dodged the spear but Ajeel then slapped his hand down onto the floor and created a large fist that sprang forth from behind END and punched him in the back, knocking him forward. Ajeel created another hand which grabbed END by his legs and tossed him aside and back into the building from where he'd came.

END, however, performed a midair flip and landed with his feet braced against the wall; his impact shattering the nearby windows. His maw snapped open as black fire formed within his open mouth.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Roar!" END bellowed as he spewed the flames forth like the fire breathing dragon he was.

The fire washed over Ajeel who let out a surprised grunt but back flipped as the flames licked at his boots. He smirked, creating a sword as he slid backwards, and brought it up just in time to meet END's sword as the demon bolted off the wall. End flipped over Ajeel and struck out at the sand mage when he landed.

Ajeel quickly countered and the two found themselves quickly clashing blades. END would duck, Ajeel would parry, and the two of them would pivot and lock blades once more.

"Not bad for a four hundred year old demon." Ajeel sneered.

"Are you calling me old?" END sneered back.

Ajeel laughed and snapped his arm free and upwards, creating sand copies of himself along with a myriad of monsters. END quickly kicked himself away from Ajeel, making the sand mage roll back as he clutched his gut.

An Ajeel copy charged END but the demon quickly severed its head before grasping a sand tiger by its head and promptly crushing it in his grip. Another lion pounced onto him and sunk its claws into his back while two Ajeel copy's rant their swords through him.

"Back off!" END snarled and enveloped his body in fire before flaring it and disintegrating the sand.

"Nice trick!" The real Ajeel called out to END, having retreated back to the roof while recalling the sand monsters to him.

"But you can always do better!"

END hissed in annoyance and summoned his scattergun, firing it at the rooftop and blasting away roof tiles and brick. Ajeel dodged each blast with the finesse of an acrobat before casting his arms out and created a large, towering gloem made of sand. The golem raised its fist high and brought it down onto END.

"Oh hell." END grumbled as he too cocked his fist back.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Claw!" END snap punched his arm forward and connected his blazing fist with the golems. The sand creature's arm was instantly engulfed in flame before it burst apart along with the rest of the sand creature, creating a haze of smoke and falling sand.

"Ramal Sayf!" Ajeel's voice echoed out from above. END looked up to see that Ajeel had jumped into the air, arms spread wide and had conjured his magic to rain blades of sand down upon END.

END was able to deflect most of the blades with his sword but no matter how many he blocked or burned away, Ajeel continued to rain the sand down upon him. END, despite his power and speed, couldn't deflect all of the attacks and many of the blades struck his shoulders, back and thighs. Ajeel only grinned, never letting up in his attack and proceeded to increase the amount of blades times two.

He saw an opening when END brought his arms up in an "X" block. Eyes wide from his power trip, Ajeel dropped down to END, forming twin battle axes in his hands.

"Ramal Fa'as!" Ajeel said and promptly bought both blades down on END as he landed, severing his arms at the shoulders.

Cackling, Ajeel then struck the axes into END's abdomen and the crux of his neck, letting go of both weapons before forming a massive fist of sand and slamming END back end over end. He came to stop at the center of the bridge. The black ichor that was END's blood sprang out from the severed joints to reconnect the fallen limbs.

Ajeel had other plans.

"Ant Lion Pit!" Ajeel said and in the blink of an eye, the stones of the veranda gave way to form small, twin pits of quicksand that just as quickly swallowed up END's arms. The ichor dove into the sand, struggling to reconnect with the limbs but after a minute, after failing to retrieve their targets, the ichor faded away.

Giggling like a maniac as END struggled to stand, Ajeel casted his hand out again, "Is that all you can do, God you're pathetic! And here I thought you'd be more of a challenge!"

A vortex of sand engulfed END. Still struggling to stand, the demon immediately felt that aside from his butchered condition, there was something else wrong with him. He felt…thirsty, all of the sudden and the skin beneath his armor began to tighten, almost as if it was drying out.

"How does it feel?" Ajeel taunted, "How does it feel to dry up like a mummy?"

The sand shifted and he appeared before the demon, sword in hand. He wasted no time in running END through, bringing him to his knees. Aajeel laughed as the black ichor spilled from END, the liquid quickly drying up as it tried to heal END's wounds.

Ajeel grabbed END by the throat and proceeded to lift him up off his feet and leveled his sword with END's heart.

"Where's all that trash talk you were just spouting a moment ago!?" Ajeel sneered, "Huh, where's it now!?"

END looked down at Ajeel with half lidded eyes, not answering the deranged sand mage.

"Defiant, even in the face of defeat…heh, you've got some serious balls demon. Tell you what, since you've made it this far and since you put up a somewhat entertaining challenge, I'll give you a quick death. But before I do that, I want to hear you beg for your life. I want you to acknowledge me as a God and beg for forgiveness! Then and only then, will I end your suffering."

END was silent as Ajeel arched his brow, sneer still in place, "Well?"

"You…a god?" END asked.

It started out as a low rumble in his chest but slowly, steadily, END began to laugh; a deep, amused sound.

"What's so funny?" Ajeel asked, frowning.

"_You."_ END hissed, eyes snapping open as his maw turned up in a manic grin. His veins glowed a vibrant red beneath his armored skin while his heart burned as if it were a raging fire. Steam began to appear and hiss on his skin, forcing Ajeel to instantly let go of END with a sharp gasp of pain.

Clutching his wrist, Ajeel looked to see that the skin of his palm and hand had been burned red.

The black ichor that resided in END suddenly sprung from his wounds and quickly reformed his missing arms; effortlessly recreating the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

"You're no god kid." END half hissed, half laughed. His eyes flashed red and Ajeel found himself blasted out of the vortex by END's optical laser.

Black fire engulfed the sand while ENDs glowing red eyes remained visible flames, glaring at Ajeel as he began to stand. The flames soon died down and revealed that vortex to be frozen in place. The sand had been turned into glass by the heat of END's flames.

The display didn't last long, however, as END shattered it with a swipe of his hand. His eyes, heart and veins continued to burn.

"You know something kid," END said, "when I first saw you, I thought you pose a problem for me. I thought you would give me a real hard time in reaching your emperor. But it appears that I was mistaken. You're nothing more than an arrogant brat with a god complex. After your initial attacks, I realized your ego was bigger than your magic and power levels…so I let you have a little fun. But sadly, our little game must come to an end now…amongst other things."

"You…" Ajeel snarled, "How dare you mock me! Me, the great Ajeel!"

"Mock you? Oh you misunderstand, I'm not mocking you; I'm stating the truth." END said. He took one step forward and was before Ajeel.

"And the truth is…" END sneered, snapping his fist up and nailing Ajeel with a fierce uppercut, sending him skyward.

END followed the mage and caught him by the throat.

"…You suck." END hissed as he hurled Ajeel back down to the bridge with minimal effort.

The bridge split apart as Ajeel crashed through it and landed in one of the gardens beneath it, cratering the stone and dirt beneath him. END landed before he could recover and proceeded to stomp his foot down on Ajeel's right knee and left elbow, breaking both limbs and causing Ajeel to scream in agony.

"You know, I could kill you in a thousand different ways." END mused as Ajeel gritted his teeth and glared murderously at him, "But frankly, you are not worth the time or the effort. With that being said, I'll be on my way."

END raised his foot and centered it over Ajeel's abdomen, "This will either kill you or it won't but it will hurt like hell regardless. If you survive, well, you'll be one of the lucky ones. Goodbye Ajeel Ramal…have a nice fall."

And with that, END stomped his foot down once more and the ground cratered and broke away as Ajeel was sent downwards, screaming in agony as he was sent into the lower levels of the castle.

It was a long time before END heard Ajeel land. A couple of seconds at most. The man would live…but he'd be in a body cast for a few weeks that was for damn sure.

With Ajeel dealt with, END brush off his shoulders, summoned his sword and leapt back up to the bridge. He was now free to enter the throne room and confront Zeref.

XXXX

_**The Throne Room…**_

Zeref Dragneel, or Emperor Spriggan as he was more commonly known, couldn't help the amused smile that spread across his face.

Listening to his little brothers confrontation with Ajeel had been quite entertaining. He had thought, for a moment, the sand mage had managed to trump Natsu.

But, as it turned out, Natsu had been toying with Ajeel all along. It was deviously entertaining.

And now, nothing stood between them and their destiny.

One way or another, they would die today. Together…as brothers. He had dreamed of this moment for so long that it almost seemed too good to be true. After another year of waiting and tracking Natsu, after forcing his brother to finally take their fight seriously, his death was now close at hand.

He wouldn't go down without a fight, oh no. He wanted to give Natsu the proper fight he deserved after making him go through all this trouble.

He wanted to _punish_ his beloved little brother for forcing him to wait so long for the end. He wanted to punish Natsu for making him what he was. After all, his drive to resurrect Natsu is what had cursed him in the first place. It was only fair that they have a proper slugfest to end their long standing conflict.

The doors at the end of the hall suddenly buckled and blew apart, shattering the nearby windows. Zeref smiled and stood from his throne as he spotted a pair of glowing red eyes through the smoke.

It was time.

He was here.

"Hello Natsu." Zeref spoke in an affectionate manner only shared between brothers, "It's good to see you again. It's certainly been a while hasn't it?"

END didn't respond, he simply continued to stalk forward, his sword dragging against the polished, marble floor.

"Didn't mother ever teach you to knock? I would have opened the doors for you had you done that."

END came to a stop halfway between the center of the grand throne room and the throne itself. He took a cursory look around the hall before directing his attention back to Zeref.

"Nice place you got here." END commented, clearly unamused, "Too extravagant for my tastes though."

Zeref chuckled, "Yes, well, it seems I developed a taste for the extravagant in the time that I've been walking this earth. Being alive for four hundred years tends to do that to you."

"I'm pretty sure it's more along the lines of being an emperor with a case of insanity." END quipped.

Zeref drew his lips into a thin line, "Like I said, that tends to happen to oneself after being alive for four hundred years brother. You see the world pass you by, time moves on and the people you meet wither and die."

"_You are not my brother."_ END hissed, raising his finger in warning.

"The Zeref Dragneel I knew was a kind, caring man who strived to make the world a better place with his magic. The Zeref I knew, the brother I loved, was a man who promised to teach me magic; he was a man who promised that no matter what, we'd always be together."

"The Zeref you knew died a long time ago, Natsu." Zeref lamented, his hands slowly closing into fists.

"As did I." END hissed, "But instead of passing on to the afterlife…I find myself a walking, talking, demonic weapon of mass destruction. I'm nothing more than a corpse. Why couldn't you have let me stay dead? Why couldn't you let go of me and move on!?"

"Because you were everything to me!" Zeref suddenly snapped, his magic radiating off of him in a black aura.

"You were my brother Natsu, I loved you! You were so young, you had barely begun to understand the world-the world I was supposed to guide you through-when you were taken from me! You're death tore me apart more so than losing mother and father!"

Tears began to fall one by one from Zeref's eyes, "I just wanted to see you again!"

"Well guess what, you got your wish." END snarled before slapping his hand against his chest, "Look at what you did to me! You turned me into a weapon and fractured my mind!"

"What I did!? What about what you did to me!?" Zeref snarled, "It's because of you that I was cursed by Ankhseram and forced to live this life, this hell, day in and day out for centuries! Do you have any idea what I've had to live through!? DO YOU!?"

"Your curse was your fault and your fault alone; your selfishness is the only thing you have to blame. I was merely a corpse buried six feet under. You were someone who could have done good for the world…and instead you attempted to bring it to its knees. You could have worked to find a way to break your curse and instead you looked to your own demise."

"You sound just like her." Zeref scoffed.

"Who?" END asked.

"Mavis Vermillion." Zeref replied coolly.

"What does the first master have to do with this?"

"So you know who she is?" Zeref sneered, "Well, isn't that quaint. She the first person I ever gave a damn about in the first place. I taught her magic…I fell in love with her…and because I loved her-because we loved each other-she died in my arms. She left me…just as you did."

"…Death comes for us all, there's no escaping it." END said.

"I guess you're right…you're here aren't you?" Zeref mused.

The two brothers were silent for a moment before END spoke up.

"Tell me, how did all of this come about?" END asked, gesturing to the grand hall; to the castle and the country beyond its walls.

"You obviously built this empire up for some reason. What was your big plan?"

Zeref smirked and shook his head, "It was all part of my plans for the Dragon King Festival. Back then, this was a small country; a backwater in the middle of nowhere. I saw an opportunity and helped the kingdom absorb the various magic guilds that filled this land. One by one, piece by piece, I built up an empire. I would have the means to both fight Acnologia when the time came and seize Fairy Heart all in one fell swoop."

"You mean the first master?" END asked.

"Yes…Mavis. Her body contains more power than the power of the stars above. Some of my subordinates tried to seize her a few years back but I managed to stop them. Her power, after all, would help decide who truly is to survive in this world. Would it be the black wizards, Acnologia-the Dragon King-, or the humans? It would have been a bloodbath."

"Would have?" END asked, "What changed your mind?"

"You and the other dragon slayers arriving into the current time. You slayers, who were so young then, grew to be powerful mages. And it was with you, Natsu, and your resurrection of your true power a year ago that made me put a halt to those plans."

"Anna's plan…the dragons plan…" Natsu said and Zeref nodded.

"Yes. A year ago, you managed to fight Acnologia in single combat. You did not kill him but you wounded him and forced him to retreat. At the cost of the other dragon's lives, you managed to put Acnologia in his place."

"He's still alive?" Natsu asked, arching his brow.

"He is, in fact, I crossed paths with him recently. He's still pissed at you for ripping his arm out of its socket and has sworn vengeance against you."

"Ah, that prick can go fuck himself for all I care." Natsu retorted making Zeref snicker.

"So, in a way," Zeref continued, "Anna and the dragon's plan did succeed. You stopped Acnologia for the time being…and now you are here to destroy me."

"I guess you're right." END replied.

"If I may, I have a question of my own. What happened to your other half?" Zeref inquired.

"Which one? Natsu or the lunatic?" END quipped, glaring at Zeref, "Yeah, thanks for replacing me with the personality of a homicidal maniac and forcing my better half to develop on his own. I got rid of the lunatic after he tried to break out last year after Lucy locked him away again. Natsu is…sleeping."

"You speak of that fake Natsu as if he is the real you." Zeref said, slightly perplexed.

"He is all that remains of what was once good in me. He grew into his own and developed a life of his own. I am merely the part of him you buried away. We are now two halves of the same person. No more. No less. I'm just glad Lucy was able to free me when the lunatic was locked away, otherwise things right now would be a lot different than they are."

"Ah miss Heartfilia…Anna's legacy and a thorn in my side. Tell me, Natsu how does it feel to know that you broke her heart once again? I sensed you send her back home, I sensed her sorrow and her fear of losing the fake Natsu. Tell me brother, how horrible do you feel right now, knowing that she could never love a monster such as yourself; that she loves a fake instead of the real deal?"

"My anger towards you eclipse's my grief. And you leave her out of this. This is between you and me; you didn't have to use her as bait! If you wanted to see me, I'm sure there was another way for you to get my attention."

"But it worked, didn't it?" Zeref asked with a smug grin, "The woman has a hold over you. And what better way to gain your attention than threaten the woman you love."

"Well it worked. So here I am, _brother_," END spat, "just as you wanted. And one more thing; stop calling Natsu a fake. I am END. He _is_ Natsu."

"Call him what you will, it doesn't matter anymore. The three of us will die here today regardless."

"I don't think so." END hissed, tightening the grip in his sword while Zeref smirked cruelly.

"You kill me, you kill both yourself and 'Natsu' remember?" Zeref said, "There's nothing you can do to change that."

"We'll see about that." END pointed his sword at Zeref, "Now…I think the time for talk has long since passed. Are you going to give me a half assed fight like last time or are you going to make me bleed to get me to act?"

Zeref smirked and in one fluid movement, removed his toga and robes, tossing them to the side and exposing his fit frame and musculature.

"I feel it best that we both should get the most out of this." Zeref said as his eyes began to glow red, "A fight to the death between myself and my beloved brother. Poetic justice meeting our final destiny."

Zeref flared his aura while END did the same, both brothers taking combative stances.

Zeref's eyes grew brighter as his magic increased, forcing his skin to peel away the way paint does from a wall, freeing the living darkness that lived beneath. It enveloped Zeref similar to how END's darkness had done to him, and conformed to his body thus creating a natural armor. The only difference being that shadows, seemingly alive in their movements, clung to the armor.

Last but not least, a maw, once again similar to END's formed where Zeref's mouth had been. The teeth opened with a snap before interlocking once more while Zeref's eyes burned brightly against the shadow.

Zeref put his hands together before slowly pulling them apart, creating a staff from his dark magic's. He tapped the staff once against the upper most step of his throne and a single, curved blade emerged from the staff while a horizontal grip formed at the center.

Zeref had summoned his weapon of choice; a scythe.

Zeref spun his scythe with the skill and finesse that would even make the Grim Reaper himself green with envy. The blade scraped and cut against the steps that led to the throne while the gold and marble of the throne itself was marred by the blade.

"Look at us…two brothers…a demon and a dark fairy, no, _two monsters_. We truly are cut from the same cloth aren't we, Natsu? Come now, let us embrace one last time! Let us end our torment and embrace oblivion!"

END's maw snapped open as he casted his arms out the sides, bellowing a roar of challenge that shook the walls, cracked the glass of the windows and was undoubtedly heard throughout all the castle and the city beyond.

_**GRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!**_

Zeref mimicked his brother's movements as he raised his own arms to his sides while his maw snapped open as well.

_**GRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!**_

All at once, END and Zeref launched themselves at one another, meeting mid-air as their weapons clashed.

Metal grinded against shadow as the brothers pushed against each other, snarling like the monsters they were. END kicked off Zeref, sending him back to the floor, but hovered midair as his maw snapped open.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Roar!" END growled as he breathed a jet of molten hot fire down onto Zeref. The dark mage, having landed in a crouch, simply slashed his scythe through the air and dispelled the fire, cutting it in two.

"Death Pillar!" Zeref snapped, making a series of hand gestures as his aura enveloped him.

A concentrated blast of death magic was unleashed beneath END, making him cry out as the dark energies shredded his armor and launched him into the ceiling. Even as debris fell, Zeref repeated the spell he had just cast but in reverse, sending END plummeting back down to the floor.

Hissing, END pushed himself up on his hands and knees and glared at Zeref. Parts of his armor had been ripped away as the black ichor bled and healed his wounds or covered the bone that had been exposed. He had forgotten how caustic Zeref's magic truly was.

Forming a fist and slamming it down, END created a lengthy crag in the floor the trailed all the way to Zeref. The crag quickly filled with lava and erupted outwards and spilled onto Zeref. The dark mage hissed in pain while flaring his aura to protect him from the lava even though some it had managed to burn his back and legs. END suddenly leapt out from within the fire and nailed Zeref in the head with a left hook. Zeref spun into the hit, intending to backhand END but the demon caught Zeref's arm in the crook of his elbow before delivering triple straight punch to Zeref's face; sword still in hand.

Still holding Zeref in place, END raised his sword and brought it down, slicing Zeref vertically down his left side. Zeref let out a cry of pain, eyes flaring in anger before quickly hooking his scythe into END and using it to rip his right arm off. He then jabbed the tip of the scythe into his brother, focusing his magic's into his weapon, and blew a dinner plate sized hole through END's chest. END was propelled backwards end over end but before he could come to a stop, Zeref extended his scythe to an impossible length and snapped it out to catch END. He then pulled END up into the air, smashing him through the various chandeliers that hung from the ceiling before smashing him down into his throne; completely demolishing the grand seat.

Wincing, Zeref brought his hand to the wound END had inflicted on him and let out a surprised gasp when he felt something warm and wet spread across his fingers. Pulling his hand away, he was rewarded with the sight of blood as it dripped from the digits.

"My own blood," Zeref said aloud, a deranged smile forming on his maw, "it's been ages since I've seen my own blood."

A piercing cry broke Zeref's reverie and the dark fairy barely dodged his brother's optical laser as it cut through the air and pierced the floor. END stood, wounds healing as he fired off bolt after bolt of energy from his eyes. Zeref dodged and weaved through each blast and with an annoyed hiss, END focused his energies into firing a continuous beam of energy from his eyes.

END tracked Zeref as the dark mage broke into a mad dash through the hall, running up one of the support pillars before performing midair flip and aiming his hands at END.

"Death Orb!" Zeref said, casting the orb of darkness at END.

The orb flew through the air and struck the remnants of the throne with a terrific blast. END, however, leapt out of the smoke; quickly reaching Zeref.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Sworn Horn!" END snarled as he head-butted Zeref back down to the floor, causing it to crater and crack.

Enveloping his hands in black fire, END drew his arms back wide before bringing them together with a mighty clap.

"Cursed Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

A wave of heat and fire enveloped Zeref as the mighty explosion propelled Zeref back towards the entrance to the hall. He dug his scythe into the floor, the marble parting as the blade easily tore through it but slowed Zeref down none the less. END landed at the base of the throne and cracked his neck.

The two brothers starred one another down, their glowering red eyes narrowed and breathing labored with every heave of their shoulders.

With a mighty battle cry, END charged forward, sword raised and ready to strike. Zeref also charged forward in similar fashion, his scythe low and scrapping against the floor.

They met one another at the center of the throne room, their weapons once again clashing and locking together. END then drew his fist back, as did Zeref, the two monsters calling forth their magic's as their hands became engulfed in fire and shadow.

Striking forward, the two fists collided and their magic flared with such force and power that the whole throne room shook and trembled at the force of their power. The windows blew outwards, the support columns trembled and the badly damaged floor creaked and groaned before finally giving way and sending both brothers plummeting to the lower level.

END and Zeref grappled with one another as they fell, trading punches and clawing at the other before finally landing in a crumpled heap.

"Get off of me." END snarled as he kicked Zeref off and away.

With a groan, END slowly began to rise onto his feet while Zeref did the same. They were a few yards apart from one another but both could hear the cracking of bone as it was healed and resettled.

"Surely," Zeref panted as he snapped his nose back in place, "you can do better than that."

"Watch me," END sneered, reconnecting his jaw, "and don't call me Shirley."

END snapped a clawed hand forward before opening it, "Fire Curse; Pulse!"

As its name stated, the fire curse directed a "pulse" of fire in all directions, igniting everything it touched. Smoke quickly began to fill the cavernous hall while soot and ash formed out of what had once been priceless works of art and ornate furniture. Zeref, shielded by his aura, simply quirked his brow.

"And what was that supposed to do?" He asked.

END smirked, "Saturate."

Particles of ash began to rise from the floor while soot that was suspended in the air condensed above Zeref. END, still smirking, dragged the knuckles of his left hand along his armor in a deft strike, causing sparks to fly. The sparks, seemingly having a mind of their own, drifted through the choked air and sought out the ash around Zeref.

"Fire Curse; Flash Fire!" END snapped his fingers and the sparks ignited the ash they had sought out. The burning ash then produced their own sparks which sought out even more ash and in an instant, a chain reaction had been triggered. In the blink of an eye, a blast of fire hotter than the magma of a volcano gutted the room with an explosion on par to a few tons of TNT.

END was blown backwards down a long hallway, through the wall at the end and several more behind it, before tumbling down a flight of stairs and landing at the center of a grand ball room. The space was massive to the point that it could take up a level of the castle all on it's own.

His body, charred and partially carbonized, smoked as the demon rolled onto his back and pushed himself up on his hands. A single wick of hair comically burned like a candle.

After ten heartbeats, END let out a long and strained groan, "Ouuuuuuch."

END sighed heavily, licked his now healed fingers and extinguished the burning tresses.

Despite his body being able to heal itself, the spell he had casted probably hadn't been the smartest of moves considering that fire and confined spaces never seemed to mix.

It sure as hell hadn't killed Zeref. More than likely it had pissed his brother off to no end.

The air shuddered with an intense wave of magical energy while the air temperature itself cooled significantly.

"Yep…" END mused, dusting off his knees as he stood, "pissed him off."

The doors to the ball room buckled before crumbling inwards as tendrils of darkness soiled past the thresh hold. With heaving breathes and a loathing glare, Zeref entered the ball room. His shadow armor and aura flickered between his cursed form and his human form but his fury remained intact.

"Oh you have no idea." Zeref growled while END snickered.

"You know what they say; if you can't take the heat stay, stay out of the blast furnace."

Zeref suddenly appeared before END, his features contorting between a snarl and a demonic grin.

"Well…shit." END said as Zeref grabbed his head and smashed his knee into it.

"I'm not laughing brother!" Zeref raged in madness, stomping his foot down into END's abdomen.

"All of this power that I gave you is right at your fingertips! And yet here you use these low level spells against me when you should be working your damned hardest to kill me!"

END's hands instantly latched onto Zeref's ankle and twisted him off allowing him to back flip away. Zeref quickly recovered, landing in a low crouch and leapt up at END, delivering a knife hand strike to the crux of his neck. Even though END's neck bent at an awkward angle from the hit, he was still able to grab Zeref by his shoulders and strike back with a double curved knee strike to the ribs.

Zeref gasped as the END's knee broke a few of his ribs, allowing END to knock him away with a horizontal elbow strike.

END formed an arm blade and lunged at his brother but the dark mage was quick on his recovery. He tapped his foot and from within END's own shadow which was casted from the light that filled the ball room, Zeref's scythe sprang forth from behind him and ran him through with the ease of a spear.

"AGH!" END cried out, hands clutching the weapon that had blasted through his chest.

Zeref called the weapon forth to him, bringing him and END face to face.

"Why are you so hesitant?" Zeref asked with narrowed eyes, his form "flickering" once again.

"I brought you back from the dead to kill me and for no other purpose. I give you power beyond imagination and here I find you using the powers of a deceased dragon to try and bring me down."

Zeref scoffed and grabbed END by the throat, "Pathetic."

Zeref increased his grip, making END grab his onto wrist.

"Do you think that Igneel's magic is enough to stop me? Do you think that by using such magic, you'll have some chance of being able to return to that girl you love so much!?"

Zeref shoved END away, transforming his scythe into a tendril of darkness that lifted the demon up before violently and repeatedly smashing him into the floor. The tendril then dragged END across the once immaculate marble, tossed him into the walls and then into the air-releasing him-before grabbing him by his feet and dangling him upside down.

"If that's the case, if she really is the reason why you are holding back, then I'll just fall back onto my original plan and wipe her out along with the rest of humanity!"

END hissed lowly at Zeref, causing his brother to let out a deranged peel of laughter.

"I'll break your body to the point that it won't be able to heal itself for quite some time; long enough to see me lay waste to Ishgar to be precise. As for your pretty little spirit mage, I won't kill her right off the bat you know! I'll make her watch as her friends, her country, and everything she cares about falls to pieces and dies around her!

And then, I'll take my time and drain her life right before your eyes. I'll make you experience the pain I've had to endure, the rage that I've carried with me all these years! Then, when there is nothing left to distract you, I'll set you free.

Then, and only then, will we finally be free to kill one another."

END was quite for a minute. But then, he did something rather peculiar.

He laughed.

The deep chuckle that rumbled up from END's chest was something Zeref had not been expecting.

"Oh Zeref," END sighed, "oh my twisted big brother…on quite the contrary, I wasn't holding back. I was using Igneel's magic simply because it comes naturally to me. I was using it to weaken your armor and make your temper rise…to make you "flicker" between your forms."

END's maw twisted into a smug grin.

"To weaken you…and get you right where I want you."

"What?" Zeref asked, perplexed.

"That throne room of yours was too cramped to my liking. I needed just a tad bid extra space to do what I need to do…and this ball room fits my needs."

Without preamble, END summoned his sword in one hand and his scattergun in the other. He then cut the tendril that was suspending him in half before landing, pivoting on his heel and bringing his scattergun up.

END jammed his finger down on the trigger and the gun barked accordingly. Zeref staggered back as his body jerked from the barrage of the cursed projectiles, his body stunned by the swiftness of END's attack. Still firing the gun with one hand, END formed his sword into a javelin, hefted it up and launched it at Zeref.

The javelin pierced Zeref's right leg through and through, nailing him in place. END dispelled his scattergun and brought his fingers to his temple.

"_Enforcer's, to me!" _END said via his mental link with his summons.

Half a second after issuing the mental command, ten balls of fire appeared within the ball room.

Heeding their master's call, Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro, Cinco, Seis, Siette, Ocho, Nueve and Diez appeared before END and Zeref, quickly forming a ring and entrapping the latter of the two.

"Dos! Everyone; bind him!" END commanded.

Dos raised his hands to his sides as his books opened to their very last pages. Rings of fire formed around the enforcers while magic runes dotted the floor both within their rings and the main ring that Zeref stood in the center of.

The rings the Enforcer's suddenly became a light in blue and white fire, enveloping the summons while a line of flame moved from one Enforcer to the next, completing a burning, magical circle within seconds.

The Enforcers did not cry out in pain as their bodies became alight. Instead, they seemed to be almost at ease with their situation. Those that could even expressed relieved or accomplished smiles at what was transpiring.

Then, each enforcer raised their hand, palms out and aimed at Zeref. From within their palms, long, winding chains of fire sprung out from the Enforcers and wrapped around Zeref's arms, legs and torso; effectively holding him in place.

"This, Zeref, is what I had in mind for you." END said as he extended his right arm and created an arm blade.

However, unlike the previous blades he had created from his arm, this blade was covered in magic glyphs that burned both blue and red while the black ichor leaked from within, steadily dripping onto the floor.

Leveling his arm with his torso before cocking it back, END took a single, calming breathe.

"_Here it goes."_ He thought, exhaling slowly.

"Final Curse," END said, "Killing Blow."

END ran forward, his boots pounding against the floor and leaving small divots in the marble. Eyes focused solely on Zeref, END's maw snapped open in a final battle cry as the distance between the two shrank with each bound END took.

Before he knew it, he had passed between Dos and Tres.

Before he knew it, he had thrust his arm forward…and pierced Zeref's chest with his arm blade, lifting the dark mage up and off his feet.

Zeref's eyes snapped open as a pained gasp left his mouth, blood instantly spilling forth. END grabbed Zeref by the shoulder and yanked him forward, further along the blade and right up to his knuckles. His brother's blood felt hot against his armored skin.

With labored breathing, Zeref looked down between him and END. A smile quirked onto his maw before ever so slowly, his armor and shadow faded away. Blood spilled from both sides of the wound and continued to drip from Zeref's mouth as he let out a shaking laugh.

"You did it…" Zeref rasped, locking eyes with END once more, "You did it Natsu…you've killed me."

END's eyes narrowed as his body shuddered, not answering Zeref.

The dark mage still continued to smile, however, "After all this time…we…we can finally die…together."

END's burning heart began to glow while his body began to tremble, just as it had the first time around. A similar phenomenon began to happen to Zeref as his own heart became a light, courtesy of END's blade. END convulsed with a pained gasp and fell to one knee, taking Zeref down with him. Their hearts began to bleed; burning lava and blood spilling and mixing onto the floor.

"The end has come for us Natsu…" Zeref whispered as he wrapped his arms around END, "let us…let us embrace oblivion at long last."

END's body continued to convulse but with a pained grunt, he managed to twist his arm blade and rip from Zeref's chest. Zeref released a strangled sigh of relief before he went lack against END. Despite the fact that Zeref's heart continued to burn, END knew that he had at long last fulfilled his purpose in life.

Zeref, the black wizard, was dead.

However…

"No brother…" END whispered, finally returning Zeref's embrace, "This is the end for you and me. _But not for him._"

END's form began to tremble and contort until the armor seamlessly took form of the black ichor that had sustained him all this time. The ichor, in turn, began to change into shadow. END's back began to shift and bulge as something from within the demon was pulled to the surface.

With a pained but determined cry, END focused his remaining energies on expelling his host.

"**Natsu!"** END barked, **"I release you!"**

The bulge ripped open as tendrils of shadow pulled forth one Natsu Dragneel, still clothed in his pants and boots; his eyes closed in unconsciousness. The tendrils carefully set Natsu down outside the ring of fire before returning to END, producing a relieved sigh from the demon.

"It is done my lord." Uno spoke, "You've won."

"At long last we can achieve peace." Seis said.

"It's about damn time." Tres added.

"**I…I…have you all to thank for that."** END wheezed, looking over his shoulder as a pained groan was emitted from Natsu; his unconsciousness quickly coming to an end.

"**The…Spriggan's…are they still alive?"** END asked.

"Aside from the one you dealt with, yes." Diez said, "I can sense them trying to scramble their way here…but they will not make it in time."

"**We did all that we can…it's up to him to see that the fight is finished."** END said.

"**Natsu…Natsu…wake up."**

Natsu brow furrowed before his eyes snapped open. He bolted upright with a surprised gasp.

"What…what happened!?" Natsu panted, clutching his head, "I…I remember reaching the city…END talking to me and then…and then…"

Natsu noticed that the demon mark on his right arm was slowly fading away. Awestruck, Natsu began to register that something felt…off with his body. That there was something missing in the back of his mind.

A pained gasp caught his attention.

Natsu looked up and with a shocked expression, took in the site before him. The Enforcers were on fire, their bodies slowly burning away while END was crouched at the center of a magically burning circle. Natsu's eyes took in his burning blood, his destabilized form…and Zeref's lifeless body.

"**Hey Natsu…"** END sighed heavily, managing a smile however.

"E-END, is that you?" Natsu gapped, "What's happening? Why are you like that? And what is Zeref doing next to you!?"

"…**I did it Natsu…I killed him."** END rasped, **"I killed Zeref. It's over…it's over…"**

"What!?" Natsu said in alarm, "END! Don't you realize what you've done!? Zeref's dead…and that means we are too!"

"**No Natsu," **END replied, **"I'll be joining my brother in hell where we belong. You on the other hand…are freed of my curse."**

"Freed? END, what do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"**Natsu, I told you this before…and I'll tell you one last time. You and I…are two halves of the same person. I am the Natsu Dragneel who died four hundred years ago. You…you too are Natsu Dragneel…what remains of what was once good in me. You developed on your own, creating your own soul, your own mind and taking my body in the process. You developed a life all your own…a destiny that is no longer entwined with mine and Zeref's."**

END began to cough violently as his maw opened and lava spewed from his mouth.

"END!" Natsu cried out, scrambling to reach his other half but the demon snapped his hand out in warning…and summoned a teleportation circle.

Natsu was locked in place as he struggled to reach the demon.

"**Natsu…I died a long time ago. I'm tired…I'm tired of this life I was forced to live when I should've been in the afterlife all this time. I'm tired of watching you live the life I know I was meant to have but know that I'll never be able to. But most of all…I just want you to live. So in order to do that, I set you free and broke the curse that boded us together."**

"Damn it END, no!" Natsu raged, "There has to be a way around this! There has to be a way to save you!"

"**Not this time Natsu."** END shook his head with a wry smile, **"This time, I truly die."**

"NO!" Natsu snapped, "I won't let it end like this! END, you're as much a part of me as I am of you! We've fought together, you've helped me reunite with my friends and damn it you've given me my life back!"

Tears filled Natsu's eyes while END continued to smile his sad yet excepting smile.

"END…you're like a brother to me. You looked after me…you guided me…you're a part of me…it can't end like this…I don't want it to end like this!"

"…**I'm touched you feel that way Natsu. I really am. But my life, my destiny has come to an end. You…you still have a life all your own to live. A life you are meant to share with your friends and Lucy. A destiny all your own. It's for that reason why I've let you go Natsu."**

"END…" Natsu sobbed, "please…don't do this…I need you."

"**You don't need me anymore Natsu. I've taught you all that I can. Even though we are now apart, my strength shall remain yours. Your fire will burn away the curses but their power still remain. You'll need it…"**

END sighed heavily and lowered himself to his other knee before leaning back.

"**After all…with Zeref dead, I doubt those Spriggan's and the empire he created will want retribution for his death…they'll figure out it was you who were my host and they'll come looking for you. And then there's Acnologia…he's still out there. And when he hears of this, of Zeref's death, he'll make his move as well.**

**A great storm is coming Natsu…you…Lucy…and everyone else need to be prepared for it. But I know you'll make it through. You always do…you are after all, a member of Fairy Tail."**

"END, I don't understand." Natsu said, tears still staining his cheeks.

"**It all will, in time."** END replied, **"…Natsu, I gave Lucy a book when I found her. Half of the pages contain my story. The rest are blank. Those pages belong to you and her Natsu…your story to tell. It…along with every day from here on out, is my gift to you."**

"A gift from us all." Uno spoke up.

"So don't waste it or I'll come back and kick your ass." Tres added.

"Yeah, we may finally be moving onto the afterlife but don't up and die on us when we've worked this hard to see that your sorry ass could continue living!" Ocho quipped.

"Take care of your princess. After all that you two have been through enough as it is." Seis said.

The other Enforcer's nodded in agreement.

"You guys…" Natsu whispered, "END."

"…**It's time to go Natsu."** END said, the teleportation circle flaring to life.

"**It's time for us to die."**

"END…" Natsu said as renewed tears fell from his eyes while the light of the circle enveloped him.

"END!"

"**Goodbye…my friend."** END whispered and gave Natsu a wink.

And then Natsu was gone.

END sighed heavily and collapsed onto his side, facing Zeref. Zeref, even in death, was still smiling that familiar smile of his.

He had at last found the peace that had for so long eluded him.

And END was not that far behind him.

"_Cool…Zeref-nii, we'll always be together right?"_

"…_From here until the end of time."_

"_Promise?"_

"_I promise."_

Despite his hatred for his brother, END couldn't help the smile the formed on his maw as the memory echoed in his mind.

"…**I guess we kept our promise to each other after all."** END muttered as his eyes began to close.

"**Okay everyone…let's go."**

"We'll see you on the far side my lord." Tres said, snapping to a crisp salute while the others bowed for the last time.

And with those words, END's pained existence came to close.

The fires that enveloped the Enforcer's burned brighter and hotter than they had before, quickly burning the summons to ash and releasing their magical energies. Combined with END's own dying magic, their power blended together to create a flaming vortex that tore its way through the ball room. The fire raged as the vortex condescended inwards before blasting out and upwards through the ball room and its section of the castle.

The fire soon turned into pure, magical energy that formed a concentrated beam of light that seemingly pierced the heavens above.

The light could be seen for miles.

The power released was felt as far as Ishgar.

But when the energy finally died away, and the dust and smoke had settled, all that remained of the ball room was rubble, ash…and two human shaped scorch marks, laying side by side.

Zeref and END had finally, in death, found their peace.

XXXX

_**Hargeon Town, Fiore…**_

A small crowd had formed around the waterfront of Hargeon Town. The townspeople and fishermen alike had simply been going about their business when out of nowhere, an elderly man and young woman had appeared at the edge of the waterfront taking everyone by surprise.

But, such attention went unnoticed by Lucy Heartfilia and Makarov Dreyar.

They were too focused on other…more depressing matters.

They had felt the familiar burst of magic from across the sea. They knew that Zeref had been defeated. But they also knew that his death had also claimed the life of someone else as well.

"He's gone…" Lucy sobbed into Natsu's scarf, both it and the book END had given her clutched tightly to her chest.

"He's gone…I…I lost him…I lost him again."

Makarov frowned deeply, placing a comforting hand on Lucy's shaking shoulder.

"I'm sorry Lucy," Makarov lamented, "I'm so, so terribly sorry."

"It's not fair," Lucy wept, "I just got him back and now…now he was taken from me again. END…END you bastard how could you…"

Lucy looked to the sky as tears fell uninhibited down her cheeks.

"First my mom…then my dad…Aquarius…and now Natsu…" She wept, "It's…I…I don't know if I can go on without him…"

"Lucy…" Makarov began, but was cut off by a flash of light from above and the surprised cry of a familiar voice.

"WAAAHHH!"

**SPLASH!**

Lucy paused, eyes wide. That voice…was it…could it really be?

"Natsu?" Lucy looked forward, hoping against hope.

The sound of water splashing and someone spluttering could be heard over the edge of the dock. A series of grunts were followed before a familiar head of pink hair followed by a pair of hands and arms hoisted the rest of the man out of the water and onto dry land.

Before Makarov and Lucy, was one Natsu Dragneel.

A soaked, panting and very much alive Natsu Dragneel to be precise.

"Damn it END, could you have picked a better spot?" Natsu whispered sarcastically.

"Natsu?" Lucy spoke, her voice instantly drawing said fire mage's attention.

"Lucy?" Natsu replied.

A heartbeat passed between the two before they scrambled to one another.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out in joy and relief, renewed tears spilling from her eyes.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried as well, quickly taking the spirit mage into his arms.

The two held each other as if they had been separated for years before pulling back. It was only then that Natsu brought Lucy's lips to his in a passionate, soul searing kiss.

"I…I thought I'd lost you…" Lucy both panted and wept as she pulled back, Natsu's hands framing her face while his forehead rested against hers.

"I'm here…I'm here now Lucy." Natsu said, kissing her again.

After another moment, the two mages parted once more.

"Natsu…what happened? I thought END…I thought…I thought you and him were going to die?" Lucy asked, cupping Natsu's cheek in her palm.

"END…he took over my body…I don't remember much but when I came to he was there. END…he had freed me from himself and had killed Zeref."

"He what!?" Lucy asked.

Natsu frowned and lowered his head, "He's gone Luce. END's gone…the Enforcers are gone…they…sacrificed themselves to kill Zeref. To set me free. END and his curse are no longer a part of me."

Natsu looked back to Lucy with tears in his eyes.

"But Lucy…END's gone. He's dead."

Lucy frowned and pulled Natsu close, her hand moving around to rub his back.

"I'm…I'm sorry Natsu…I had thought that he had betrayed you and me when he sent the Master and I back here…but hearing you say all of that…I know that he just wanted to keep us safe."

"It didn't have to end like this." Natsu whispered.

"But it did," Lucy said, "and what's done is done. Natsu, END finished his fight with Zeref and set you free. He's given you back to me…to everyone."

Natsu bit his lip and lowered his gaze, "He said he wanted to give me a second chance."

"Oh Lucy there's so much I need to tell you…so much that I don't understand."

"I know Natsu….but we'll figure it out together, just as we've always done." Lucy replied with a smile.

"…I know." Natsu smiled back, locking his gaze with hers, "END…he gave me a second chance. I don't intend to waste it."

"I know you won't Natsu. I know I won't. In a way, he gave us all a second chance. By stopping Zeref…he made everyone's futures brighter than they were before." Lucy said as she carefully wrapped Natsu's scarf around his neck, making the dragon slayer smile warmly.

"I guess…I guess you're right." Natsu smiled.

The clearing of a throat alerted the two lovers to Makarov's presence as the elderly guild master smiled back at the two.

"Master!" Natsu beamed.

"It's good to see you again boy…hell, it's good to see the both of you safe and unharmed."

"Likewise." Natsu replied as he and Lucy stood.

"I don't know about the two of you but it's been quite the day hasn't it?" Makarov asked, still smiling.

"That's putting it mildly." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"I have a feeling that it won't take long for the other's to know we're here. So why don't we meet them half way…I can only imagine the welcome mat they're rolling out for us back home." Makarov said.

"Home…home sounds like a really good place to be right about now." Lucy sighed with a smile.

Natsu took Lucy's hand into hers, lacing her fingers with his.

"Then let's not keep them waiting. C'mon Lucy, Master…let's head home."

"Together?" Lucy asked and Natsu smiled.

"Together."

XXXX

…

…

_**EPILOUGE**_

…

…

XXXX

_**Five Years Later…**_

Five years have passed since that fateful day.

The day the black wizard Zeref met his end at the hands of his brother, Etherious Natsu Dragneel.

END.

The demon had fulfilled his purpose of bringing about the twisted dark mages wish for a final battle and a final end.

But rather than let himself complelty fall victim to the vision Zeref had created for him, END had rebelled against his brother and had torn himself away from his other half; Natsu Dragneel. The fire mage of Fairy Tail.

He had given his other half a second chance at the life that had been taken from him all those years ago.

END had not been wrong in his prediction of the Albareth Empire wanting to avenge their fallen Emperor Spriggan; of wanting to avenge Zeref.

Nor had he been wrong about Acnologia seeking out Natsu for a final confrontation.

Albareth and the black dragon had stormed into Ishgar, seeking the blood of the Fairy Tail mage and his comrades.

But Fairy Tail, along with their allies in the various magic guilds of Fiore, stood defiant against their would-be oppressors. The united together and fought decisive battle after decisive battle.

Blood was shed.

Wounds were inflicted.

And death nearly claimed more than a few souls.

But in the end, Fairy Tail and their allies stood victorious over Albareth and Acnologia. They had accomplished the impossible against insurmountable odds.

They had achieved a lasting peace…and could finally look forward to the future.

Which, in the case of one certain dragon slayer and spirit mage couldn't be more true…

XXXX

_**Strawberry Street, Magnolia Town; Fiore, Ishgar…**_

_**The apartment of Natsu and Lucy Dragneel…**_

The apartment was quiet, save for the gentle murmur of voices from the lacrima vision as reports from the five o'clock news filled the living and dining room.

It was a comfortable apartment, with more space being offered than the one Lucy Heartfilia had owned in the past. Granted, this apartment was still on the same street that the spirit mage had known as home for a number of years now, but her old flat was now two blocks in the opposite direction.

And much like the apartment before, this apartment filled the role of home to Natsu Dragneel, his wife Lucy and Happy the Exceed.

…Along with their most recent addition to the family.

Currently, Natsu lay on his back on the couch in the living room, quietly watching the lacrima with his hand propped underneath the pillow he was using. Happy silently slept by his feet, having curled up into a small ball.

Aside from a few new scars and in increase to his overall musculature, Natsu hadn't changed that much as far as appearances went. Currently, the fire mage wore a red sleeveless top along with a pair of khaki colored cargo shorts.

And on his left ring finger, a gold wedding band was snuggly set in place.

Glancing to the clock above the lacrima, Natsu saw that the time read that if was five thirty in the evening. Lucy would be home soon, which meant she would be home in time for dinner.

Someone, aside from him, was getting hungry after all and after the last fiasco with the oven, Natsu didn't dare go near the kitchen without Lucy's approval.

Smiling, Natsu looked down to his chest to check on the beautiful baby girl that slept soundly on his chest. Her blond and pink hair was tussled from sleep, a pacifier bobbed in her mouth and his iconic scarf was wrapped around her in a make shift blanket.

Her name was Layla…Layla Dragneel.

The one year old little girl wore a pink onesie with a rhinestone Fairy Tail emblem embroidered on the back while her name had been sown at the center of it.

Occasionally, the baby's eyes would open only to close just as quickly as she relaxed to her father's natural warmth and the gentle beat of his heart.

Natsu leaned down and kissed the top of his daughter's head before leaning back once more.

It had been after the final battle with Albareth and Acnologia that he and Lucy had settled down as had many other members of the guild. The image of a certain iron, script, water and ice mages came to mind.

With the threat of Zeref, his empire and the black dragon now gone, peace had settled over the world and people were finally free to focus on the future.

And that's what Natsu and Lucy had done. They made a future for themselves.

Now, five years on, Natsu could confidently say they did a damn good job of such venture.

Still, despite the hard fought happiness he had achieved, Natsu knew a part of him would never completely be whole. There was a longing, however small it was, in his heart and in the back of his mind that always called for his missing half.

For END.

Natsu knew he was free of the curse, that END was gone and dead. He had accepted that. But the bonds he had formed with his other half could never truly be broken.

Well, it wasn't fair to say that END was completely gone, Natsu mused as he pulled his hand out from underneath the pillow. The demon had, in fact, left a memento of sorts for Natsu on his right wrist.

There, as plain as day, was a black tattoo.

It was a small trinity knot surrounded by a ring that was followed by a double locked band that wrapped all the way around his wrist.

It had appeared a few days, out of the blue after he, Lucy and Makarov had returned home to Magnolia. And it had remained there ever since.

It was a constant reminder of his other half. Of the pain, trials and tribulations he had gone through to be able to enjoy his life with Lucy, Layla, his friends and the rest of his nakama at Fairy Tail.

But most of all, it reminded him of the demon who had reclaimed something that had long been lost to him; his humanity. By regaining it, END had taken a change of heart and had fought to ensure that Natsu didn't suffer the fate that Zeref had imagined for him. He had fought to give Natsu a second chance. Even if meant sacrificing himself in turn.

At least, Natsu had mused, END had found an absolution only achievable in death. That the curse he had lived with for over four hundred years was now a thing of the past.

The sound of the door lock clicking brought Natsu out of his thoughts and he looked over just in time to see Lucy enter the apartment, sliding her shoes of next to his boots and setting her bag down nearby.

"I'm home!" She called out brightly.

"Welcome home." Natsu smiled, cradling Layla as he stood.

"Welcome back Lucy!" Happy added in his usual chipper manner, "How did things go with the book people?"

"The publisher loved my book so much that they're wondering when I'll be able to start on the next one." Lucy beamed as she walked up to Natsu and planted a kiss on his lips.

"That's great Luce." Natsu said, "See, and here you were worrying that those guys wouldn't like your book, even after all the hard work you put into it."

"Sometimes I wish I shared your optimistic look on life." Lucy sighed with a smile.

"So…" she said, "how were my two favorite dragons today?"

"Well," Natsu smiled as he gently held Layla, "I think it's safe to say that someone missed their mommy."

Layla, having awoken at the sound of Lucy's voice, was wide eyed and reaching out for Lucy; her tiny, tiny hands opening and losing.

"Hey baby." Lucy cooed softly, carefully taking her daughter into her arms as the little girl patted her mother's cheeks with her hands. Lucy giggled and placed a series of butterfly kisses on Layla's forehead making the baby squirm in silent laughter.

Natsu's heart melted at the scene before him.

Day in and day out this is what he lived for.

A melancholic smile formed on his lips and it didn't go unnoticed by Lucy.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

Natsu sighed, "Nothing…just thinking about him."

"END?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah." Natsu nodded, running his fingers through Lucy's hair which was now cut in an inverted bob.

"I was just thinking….how it'd be nice for him to see us like this. To see what he was able to do in the end."

Lucy smiled just as softly, her eyes flickering to her desk where hanging over it a frame was a certain black book.

"He knew it was his time Natsu." Lucy said, "He's at peace. And you and I both know he wouldn't have had it any other way."

"I know..." Natsu said with a sigh but smiled regardless, "He was stubborn like that."

"Sounds like someone I know." Lucy quipped.

"Gee, I wonder where I got it from." Natsu replied pecking Lucy up and down her cheek, making her giggle.

"C'mon," Lucy said, shifting Layla to rest against her shoulder, "I'll get dinner started. I'm sure the both of you are hungry."

"You want me to help?" Natsu asked.

"Do you want a repeat of last time?" Lucy asked.

Natsu pursed his lips in thought and then shrugged his shoulders, "Meh, we'll wing it."

Natsu grinned and Lucy, despite her eye roll, grinned in turn. Wrapping his arm around Lucy's hip, the husband and wife made their way to the kitchen of their little corner of the world on Strawberry Street.

XXXX

The end had come for Tartarus, for the Albareth Empire, The Spriggan Twelve, Acnologia, Zeref and Etherious Natsu Dragneel. For END.

But for Natsu and Lucy-for their little family-and the men and women of Fairy Tail…

For everyone who had fought for their future….

It was the start of a new chapter in their lives.

The start of a new beginning.

**XXXX**

_**ARC 2-END**_

**XXXX**

**THE END**

**XXXX**

Closing A/N: And so ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to the conclusion of our story. How's that for an ending? A chapter that clocked out at 62 freakin' pages!

Plus, a little fluff at the end there seeing as how I'm such a sap for happy endings. Yes, I'm a sap, I know! To the people in the peanut gallery please stop with the tree and sap jokes.

The second and final arc to this story has come to a close and goddamn has this been one hell of a ride.

I never thought this story would get to be what it has become, seeing as how this all started on a whim and was supposed to last five chapters. But, here we are!

So to all of you who have reviewed, favorited and followed my story; thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your continued support and encouragement-for just sticking to this to the end. I hope I was able to make it a proper ending for you all-it's the least I can do for you guys.

I do ask that you leave a final review, however, to let me know how this turned out. Just give me your general feedback on the chapter and the story as a whole, that's all that I ask. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to PM you or maybe even respond to you in the next story if you happen upon it.

So, now that "When the END comes…" is finished, here's the rundown of what I'm doing next. I'm going to get my thoughts in order, play some Xbox and focus on my schooling for a day or few.

From that point I'm going to pick up with "Vendetta", "Between Light and Shadow," and "Kid's: Knight's Tale". They're in sore need of updating so I'm going to take time to work on those for the rest of the semester and into my summer break.

I'm also planning on writing a story for RWBY and I may even get around to revising or updating "Into the Fire." Meh, I'll see where my thoughts take me and what's going on. I'll try to write when I can for as long as I can but expect the usual delays from college, work and anything that's going on in my personal life.

So until then, I hope to see you in my next story. Your reviews, comments and feedback are always appreciated plus I've grown attached to you guys so I hope you'll drop by to say hi every now and then.

So, for now; adios, au revior, auf wiedersehen, sayonara, dasvidaniya, peace out-however you say it-see you next time!

As always; read, review and most importantly of all, HAPPY READING! THIS IS DD42 AND I'LL SEE YOU IN THE NEXT ADVENTURE!


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